Harry, Ginny, & Their Love Story
by phoenixrising31
Summary: Harry's life is left in pieces after the war - and the only person who can fix it is the one he pushed away. A story of love, loss, and how, even after a war, life still goes on. *Moving over from HPFF
1. Chapter 1: Love Always Finds Its Way

Author's Note: This was all originally published on - I'm migrating the story over here because the site is shutting down.

Chapter 1

It was the morning of May 4th, two days after the final battle. The castle was destroyed, pieces of stone and shattered glass, scattered around the grounds. The remaining towers standing stood out like a black sheep in a herd of white. Windows were shattered, it particles jagged, and spread out throughout the corridors. And everywhere, there was blood to remind everyone of how tragic the occasion was. Lives had been spared, but some lives were perished with a flick of a wand, and a mutter of some cursed words. The fire had sufficed, leaves hole in the walls, and some of the trees burnt to the ground. But it also burnt people's hearts, some burns so bad, that nothing can help them.

All the bodies had been moved to their proper destinations, to find saddened families awaiting their arrival. Many tears were shed, and many hearts were broken.

"The chosen one." Harry said, fumbling with a rock that lay in his hand. He, then, drew his arm back, and threw the stone into the Black Lake that faced him. "Yeah right." He muttered, looking down. He was sad, maybe even partially depressed. He had the faces of all of the fallen lingering in his mind. And for the ones that had fallen he didn't know, their silhouettes took their place.

He ran his fingers through his unruly raven hair, pushing it back in frustration. He couldn't get the guilt out of his mind, but however, he had to forgive himself and move on. He knew he had to, and sometime he would have to, but he just hadn't found out how yet.

Even though there were signs of disaster on the ground of Hogwarts school, it was still beautiful, no matter the destruction. The sun was barely peeking over the forbidden forest, as if it was secretly watching Harry, as he sat there jumbling around in his thoughts. The sun was just barely high enough, to light up the ground, casting a glow of light. His lips escaped a small smile, as he saw a Phoenix fly overhead, singing a melodic song. He turned his severely bruised body to see a certain ginger haired boy walking towards him. Slowly but steadily.

"Hey mate." Ron said, sitting down next to Harry with a slight grunt. Harry still had his eyes fixed on the somber bird, that soared just yards in front of him.

"Hey." Harry said his delayed reply, as he watched the sunrise. He smiled again, which was one of the only smiles that he had had in two days. He had been walking around, helping the damage, or sleeping the time through. Not once in those two days had he smiled. But only that morning, had his lips formed a grin. The two young men sat in silence, until Ron saw a bushy haired girl walking towards him, and his face grew into a grin.

Young love. Two young people who had not realized their love for each other, until mere minutes into the most memorable battle in the history of the wizarding world. Yet, Harry had still not talked to his first love, Ginny Weasley. While on the run, she was all he could think about, aside from the other things, but now; he was afraid to talk to her. Afraid that she had found someone else, and didn't love him anymore.

"Hi." Hermione said, sitting down next to Ron. He took her hand in his, and wrapped his arm around her waist delicately.

"Hi Hermione." Harry said, not even looking at her, just staring off into space. Hermione just rolled her eyes, and criss-crossed her legs.

"Harry." She said, turning her body to face him. She had let go of Ron's hand. "You need to stop blaming this all on yourself. I know that you think this is all your fault, but it isn't okay? It's Voldemort's, and he's dead now. We can't do anything to change the past." She said.

"Yeah say that again." He said, referring to their third year.

"Okay fine, but we can't bring people back from the dead Harry. It's one of the many things that magic of our kind cannot do. We just have to live with our choices, knowing we made the right ones." She said. "You need to come back to reality Harry. If you don't, you'll just waste your life, practically drowning yourself in self pity." She said.

"I am not giving myself self pity Hermione." Harry fought back. "You don't understand." He said.

"Oh. So I don't understand?" She asked. "I've been your friend for seven years Harry. I know what you get like when something like this happens. I've known you for too long to let you just sit here, when there is a castle to rebuild, and your life to build up." She said.

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't have this on my mind Hermione? Cuz nothing else can really help it." He lied. Something else did help it, but he didn't like to think about it.

"Ginny." She said, bringing up the very same thing that he had been thinking about. Harry didn't say a word, and just looked down. "She's waiting for you Harry. She's been waiting for you for a year now, and you've been sitting our here all by yourself. She thinks that you don't love her anymore." She said.

"But I do Hermione. That's the thing." He said. "I don't want her to have the life I have. There are Death Eaters after me, and that bloody Rita Skeeter, and almost everyone in the Wizarding World wants to meet me."

"Harry." She said, looking at him in the dead eye. She was serious, and Harry could tell. "You have to stop trying to protect everyone for every second of everyday. She can protect herself, and you know she can. We all don't need saving every day, we just need to have our best friend, smiling and perky like the first day I met you." She said.

"She's right mate." Ron piped in.

"I know she's right Ron." Harry said. He knew it was right, he knew he had to let go of this stage, and throw it in the water. He just couldn't do it. "I just can't do it." He said.

"Of course you can." Hermione said. "I'll help you with it. Come on." She said, getting up and offering him her hand. He took it, and she helped him up.

"Where are we going?" He asked, as they walked through the rubble and towards the broken doors. Ron stood on the outside of Hermione, holding her hand. Harry was hoping that they wouldn't get too romantic in front of him, but he was happy to see both of them together, after seven years. Finally.

"You'll see." Hermione said cheerfully. Harry just tagged along, not saying a single word. Hermione leaded both Ron and Harry to what used to be the Great Hall. It still stood, but there was sever damage to the walls. The window had been shattered, and so many stones from the walls were all over the floor. Harry was even shocked that it was still standing. The Weasley family had vacated it, going off and fixing the grounds. Harry looked to his right, to Andromeda Tonks with Teddy Lupin, rocking him back and forth. He smiled, and walked over to them with a feel of rhythm to his steps. He now knew why Hermione had brought him over; family was his strongest asset to his healing.

"Hello Harry, nice seeing you here." Andromeda bounced baby Teddy slightly in her arms, as he giggled and spat into thin air. His smile lit up the room, and his hair would change color when his emotions were made different. His hair was a bright orange, which Harry assumed meant that Teddy was happy.

"Nice seeing you Mrs. Tonks." Harry responded back.

"Oh Harry, please call me Andromeda. Mrs. Tonks makes me sound like an old bat." She laughed. "Of course, that's what I am. So you can call me whatever you like dear." Teddy seemed to notice that Harry was there, because he looked towards Harry and giggled. Ron and Hermione, who had been a few feet away talking, walked to see Teddy laughing at Harry.

"Bet you he thinks you're funny looking." Ron joked, and Harry formed a little smile. Teddy then stopped to look at Ron, and had a blank stare on his face. Within a matter of seconds, Teddy was curled up against Andromeda, his face buried in her chest.

"Bet he thinks you're a mountain troll." Hermione said, slightly pushing Ron in the arm. Ron smiled and kissed her on the cheek, and turned back to Harry.

"So Harry, how are you?" Andromeda asked, as she put Teddy into a makeshift crib she had built with a flick of a wand. Teddy rolled over on his side, his eyes fluttered as he slept peacefully.

"I'm good. Working on a few things in my life, getting everything sorted out and realizing a few things." Harry answered back. Andromeda gently nodded her head as she fixed her dress patterned with daisies and tulips.

"That's nice dear, I'm happy to hear that you're trying to get back up your feet." said Andromeda. "And since the way that you two are standing," She motioned towards Ron and Hermione, where Ron had his arm wrapped around Hermione's waist. "I assume that you two finally got together." Hermione was the first to respond, but Ron's response almost overlapped Hermione's.

"Yes we did."

"You knew too?" Ron asked her. Harry and Hermione looked at Ron, that made the situation more awkward. "I mean—well—you said finally…You knew about us before we did." The words stumbled out of Ron's mouth, which left Andromeda in a stifled laugh and Hermione with a giggle.

"We all did mate." Harry put his hand on Ron's left shoulder. "We all did." He patted Ron's shoulder twice, and withdrew his hand.

"So Mrs. Tonks˗˗˗" As Harry said this, Andromeda shot Harry a partially stern look. "I mean Andromeda, I'm sorry."

"No it's fine dear."

"How's the rebuilding coming along, I haven't been around all of you the past few days." Harry asked.

"It's coming along slowly, but we'll make it by the new school year." She said, glancing over at Teddy to make sure he was fast asleep. "If you don't mind, would you watch Teddy for an hour? I must get back to the rebuild, and Molly has gone off to work and he'll be all alone…"

"We'll watch him for you Andromeda." Hermione answered, cutting Andromeda off while she rambled on. "We'll take care of him."

Andromeda stood up, and walked over to Hermione and gave her a warming hug. "Thank you so much dear, I'll be back for him in an hour."

"No need to rush, we won't be leaving anytime soon." Hermione reminded her, a warm and calming smile brushed on Hermione's face. Andromeda gave one last look at them, a wave and smile of goodbye came, and she was around the corner and out of sight.

The trio sat down towards Teddy, and saw him began to roll around in his crib. Harry looked down at him, and his hair had changed from being bright orange, to being like Harry's jet-black hair. Teddy, in some way, reminded Harry of himself when he was a young one just like Teddy. His parents were murdered, with no family left, other than aunts and uncles that didn't love him and a godfather who cared about him so much, but couldn't really be there for him because his life was so chaotic.

"Fancy seeing you here Harry." Luna piped up. Harry took his eyes off Teddy, and faced towards her. "I would've thought you would be sleeping, you had a lot of Brumples in your heart the other day."

"I'm sorry Luna…" Hermione politely interrupted before Harry could say anything. "But what are Brumples?"

"Brumples are small creatures that go into your heart when you get excited, and dance around to make your heart beat faster." She explained.

"Are they the ones that make your stomach feel like they have butterflies in them?" Ron asked.

"No, those are the yutters. They do the same thing as the Brumples, just in your stomach." She explained. "I had yutters in my stomach just yesterday. Quite a fun feeling, isn't it?" Luna said dreamily.

"Very." Harry and Hermione said at the same time. Ron had been lagging behind, as his mouth hung open but no words came out. He awkwardly closed his mouth, hoping that not many had noticed that his mouth was weirdly open for more than two seconds.

"So how was your day Hermione?" Luna switched to talking to Hermione.

"I was fine; I just took a stroll with Ron and talked to Harry." Hermione simply answered. "How was your day Luna?"

"Oh, it was just like any other day for me. Neville and I went searching in the forest and we saw some thestrals. It was the first time that he had seen one, so he was a little frightened, but he was good all the same." She explained.

"Hey Luna!" Neville called out from the hallway. He saw that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were there also, so he gave them small wave.

"I really must be going." Luna said. "It was nice chatting with you." She said as she skipped off towards Neville.

"Hey Hermione," Ron said.

"Yes?"

"Do you think Neville and Luna, you know…like each other?" Ron asked. Hermione just crossed her legs and placed her hands on top of her folded legs.

"No, I just think that they're really close friends. They were in the DA together, and they were Herbology partners, they must be somewhat of good friends." She answered.

As she finished, Ron looked over to see Teddy stretching his arms and looking towards him. He began to squirm around and whine slightly. Harry looked at Hermione with a plea of help written in his eyes. Hermione hesitantly got up and picked Teddy up out of his crib. She found the bag where Andromeda kept the bottles, and placed it in Teddy's mouth. He eagerly drank it down, and then turned back into the bubbly baby boy that he had been before. He took one look at Harry, and started to giggle again.

"I think he wants you Harry."

"But there's just a slight problem…" Harry said, slightly leaning away from Teddy, though he wasn't scared of holding him; he was afraid he would drop him.

"Have you ever held a baby before Harry?" Hermione asked, and Harry looked down. "Well, it's not that hard, I'll show you." Hermione came over to Harry and placed Teddy in Harry's arms. She told him to support Teddy's head, and make him close to your body.

"This isn't that bad." Harry said, bouncing him up and down softly. Teddy giggled once more, and Harry laughed back. "You want to hold him Ron?"

"I'm good, thanks." Ron backed up, same as Harry had.

"Sure?"

"Almost certain." Ron replied back. "Anyways, he's your godson, so he might as well spend more time than you than with me."

"Well, either way, you're going to be around him." Hermione said. "So might as well get used to it, it's either now or later." She proposed.

"Later sounds pleasant right now thanks." He replied.

As the one hour made it into two hours, the three young people sat at the table playing with Teddy. Hermione had held him most of the time, and Harry the rest. Ron opted to not hold him, as he was most likely afraid that if he touched the baby it would blow up into a thousand tiny pieces. He knew it would most likely not happen, but he was a wizard, and anything was possible.

"Oh thank you so much for watching him…" Andromeda hurried back and took Teddy from Hermione. "I hope that he wasn't too much of a bother."

"Not at all." Hermione said.

"We're happy to help." Harry added on.

"He is a fun, little guy, Teddy." Ron said.

"He is, isn't he?" She tucked him into his little crib again, and formed a handle onto the crib which was tiny enough for her to carry. "Well, I think I must be going off to the Hufflepuff common room. I'm having some tea with Molly and Fleur, who happens to make the most delicious tea I have ever had." She added.

"I'll have to try it out sometime." Harry said. "We'll see you later Andromeda." He said.

"I will see you later too dears." She said, as she picked up Teddy's tiny carrier with her hand, as it was too risky with magic, and walked out of where the great oak doors used to stand.

The day went on better than Harry had planned, and what he had expected. He, Ron, and Hermione had gone out into the Quidditch stadium and played catch with the quaffle. They found it too hard to play with a snitch, and playing with a bludger would be downright unintelligent. More strolls in the forest, more talks by the Black Lake, and by the end of the day, Harry was ready to eat his dinner and fall fast asleep.

As Harry walked into the fixed common room, he glanced over to his right. His breathe was taken away, his vision blurred even though his glasses were still on. His heart began to pound against his chest like it wanted to jump out of his body and find its other half; which coincidentally happened to lie across the room.

"Hi Harry," She said, putting down her book. "I didn't see you there."

"I just got here," Harry said, pointing towards the portrait hole like he needed to indicate the place where he came from. "How long have you been up here?" He asked, his mouth starting a drought on his tongue.

"About half an hour, I just felt like getting away." She said, folding up her body on the couch so he could sit down also. He took the chance and sat down right next to her, his body no less than three inches from hers.

"Must be nice." Harry said, awkwardly. He hadn't quite known what to say, so he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. She sat there, also feeling the wave of awkward tension between them, and began to say something.

"Harry, can I ask you…." She trailed off, and shook her head afterward. "Never mind." She laughed softly under her breathe.

"If you need to ask me something Gin, you can." Harry said, and Ginny's heart fluttered. She had not heard that nickname in more or less than a year, and she missed it dearly. But more than that, she missed the man that called her by it. "I'll always be here."

"I was going to ask you if you still loved me." She said quietly, barely loud enough for him to hear.

"I do Gin." He answered her question. "I still do." She looked up, and looked him in his eyes. They were like an emerald green maze, that she would constantly get lost inside of it, not really caring she was lost either.

Before she could blink, she and Harry were kissing. After almost a year without each other, both of them had been hungry for the other. The more and more they kissed, the more they wanted to be with the other forever second of the day, week, and maybe even longer. Ginny couldn't stop thinking about how she was kissing Harry Potter, the boy that she knew she had loved since she was a little girl. And Harry couldn't stop thinking about how he was kissing one of his best friends from when he was little.

After they had broken apart, she hugged him and buried her face into his shoulder.

"I've missed you so much." She said, holding him for him to be her own. She just wanted to hold him for as long as she could, but she knew that she couldn't. She knew that he had to do other things, as she had other things to do also.

"Me too." Harry responded back, as she reluctantly let him go.

"Really?" She asked, her brown eyes sparkling with the light of the fire making them light and happy.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

The couple sat there until dinner had come, and they both went down to eat. There was no sign of anyone there, as most of them must've eaten before Harry and Ginny had made it down to the great hall. Most of Mrs. Weasley's potatoes were gone, which made Harry a bit sad. Ginny and Harry ate dinner together, laughing over memories from their relationship, and at all costs, avoiding to talk about what happening just a few days earlier.

"Ginny." Hermione said, folding a blanket onto a chair. Ginny was just returning from her evening with Harry, and had just said her goodbyes.

"Hermione." She said back cheerfully. "How are you?"

"I'm great, but better yet…" Hermione walked over to Ginny's bed and sat on it. "How are you?"

"I'm perfect." Ginny responded back.

"So I take it you two got back together?" Hermione asked, and all she received was a simple nod and smile from Ginny, who was sitting on the opposite side of the bed.

"Well, that's all I was waiting for to hear from you, but I want to know other things tomorrow." Hermione said, as she got off Ginny's bed into her own.

"I'll tell you tomorrow, I promise." Ginny smiled, as she climbed into her own bed and turned off the light. She then fell into a peaceful sleep, one certain raven hair boy drifting throughout her dreams.

xx


	2. Chapter 2: Letting Go

_**Chapter 2**_

Early the next morning, Ginny sat in the Gryffindor common room with a Weasley blanket thrown over her battle-scarred legs, one crossed over the other. On her lap lay an open scrapbook, the first page adorned with a young baby boy with his two loving parents; his emerald green eyes stood out amongst the scenery.

Flipping each page had almost been flipping into another life for the young woman, as she saw some pictures that made her laugh, even though she wasn't in them. Platform 9 ¾ in the background, it was a picture of Harry and Ron just coming back from their first year. Both of them had smiles plastered across their faces, their smiles a bit too goofy for the moment. Ginny then turned the page with a chuckle to find a picture from their third year, all three of them. Laughing so hysterically they used each other for balance, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in the Leaky Cauldron mere days before their third departure to Hogwarts.

As time and pages flew by, Ginny stopped at one particular picture. Taken by Colin Creevey, the common room filled with celebration, Ginny watched as Harry caught her lips in his. She saw Dean breaking a glass in his bare hand and Romilda's jubilant expression turn to the opposite. Watching Harry kiss her, she realized it felt so much different than what it appeared to be. It appeared to be obviously shocking, but she simply felt relief and blissful in the moment.

"What a night," She whispered quietly to herself, and slowly glanced over to the place where this all happened. It was amazing to Ginny, the amount of change that had taken place from that one kiss. Had he not kissed her, would she have taken the chance and kissed him herself? Pondering the what-ifs, Ginny turned the page.

"Where did you get that?" Harry gently touched her shoulder, to which Ginny responded by jumping out of her seat and grabbing her wand.

"Harry!"

Harry had his hands up in the air as if he were surrendering, a smirk present on his face. Her hand clapped over her heart, Ginny's heart started to slow its pace down, and she took many deep breaths. "It's just me." He said quietly.

"Sorry, I've just been paranoid the past few days…" She apologized, sitting back onto the sofa, pulling her knees to her chest.

"So, are you going to answer my question? Or is it another great mystery of Ginny Weasley?" Harry sat down, and Ginny gave a quiet chuckle.

"I just found it on the floor of your room," She closed it and placed it onto his lap. "It had fallen out of some pouch, I think."

"Have you looked through it?" He asked, tracing the letter on top of cover. Ginny turned away, hoping not to answer the question, which Harry took as his answer. "Gin, you never seize to amaze me." Ginny turned around quickly, which caused Harry to get a mouthful of fiery Weasley hair. He spat it out quickly, and they both couldn't help but laugh.

"How do I amaze you?" She questioned once their laughter had sufficed. She looked at his hand while he placed it on top of hers.

"Well," He rubbed the back of his neck nervously with his other hand. "It's just…it's you." A few moments of silence passed, a few birds chirped in the distance to fill the soundless air. Harry could hear Ginny's calm breathing; her chest falling as she took deeper and deeper breaths. A smile crept up on her face, leaning over and planting a kiss on Harry's unshaven face.

"You too."

Harry smiled at this, and then turned the scrapbook over in his hand and tracing the gentle cover once again.

"Well, knowing you," Harry broke the moment of silence. "You looked through this."

"You know me too well, Harry." She admitted, while moving an few inches more towards Harry's direction, to see the pages better but also to be closer to Harry. He began to flip through the scrapbook, smiling at a few memories that he hadn't seen in a while, some as simple as Harry and Ron playing wizard's chess, Hermione scowling in the background whilst calling it barbaric. Others were pictures that Ginny had no idea where they took them, such as in a forest, but she decided to remain quiet.

"You see this one," He pointed towards an older photograph that lay next to a fifth-year Hermione, reading her latest book of the time. "That's the original Order of the Phoenix. Frank and Alice Longbottom are right there…Sirius… and my parents are right there."

"You look like your dad," She glanced down at the picture of the late James Potter, and back up at his son to see a similarity that could be said by any stranger.

"But I have my mother's eyes," He finished off for her. "Almost everyone I meet says that."

"Actually," She said. "I was going to say that you have her nose."

"Her nose? Really?" He said, pondering with that thought. "Huh. I've never heard that one before."

"No, I was going to say eyes." He smiled at this. "And you have your Dad's smile."

The smile that she spoke of began to come up on Harry's face, and one spread across her own face as well. Turning back to the scrapbook, Harry turned the page and pointed to another photograph.

"And right here," A recent picture of the Weasleys in his sixth year was tapped to the parchment, all of them smiling like mad, Harry and Hermione's hair standing out against the other red hair. "Is my family."

Ginny looked up at Harry to find him smiling down at her.

"Everything seems so simple doesn't it?"

"Simple." Ginny snorted. "Don't be ridiculous Harry."

Laughing, Harry shook his head and looked back down to the scrapbook, flipping through pages of memories and childhood memoirs. "Well, you know what I mean. More innocent I guess."

"Well…" She began to argue.

"I think we're fine Gin," He cut her off with a smile, and she stuck out her tongue to receive the same gesture back.

"We all grew up too fast, but some of us are still child at heart." He peered at her over his glasses, which had fallen down to the tip of his nose.

"Are you suggesting that I'm childish Potter?" She teased.

"No, not at all." He said, his voice slightly higher than normal. Ginny, then, quickly threw a light punch on his bicep, surprising Harry. "What was that for?"

"For being a git." Harry shook his head.

"And you're not childish?" He scoffed lightly.

"Bugger off Harry," She joked. "But I reckon you're right, we have grown up too quickly."

"But it was an amazing childhood," He said. "But crazy nonetheless."

"Mine wasn't all too crazy, compared to yours." She said. "I barely talked to you mental cases, you were too busy fighting you-know-who."

"Voldemort." He reminded her, and she fidgeted a bit. Harry normally didn't see Ginny as a timid person, she was a confident woman. Seeing her afraid of a _name_ sent chills through his body, a tiny stab at his heart. But he was gone, Voldemort was gone, he couldn't hurt her anymore.

She took a deep breathe, his eyelids closed, and repeated the name slowly back to him.

"It'll take time," He said, moving his hand to her leg. "Anything good takes some getting used to, and it sometimes takes a lot of time."

"Took us six years didn't it?" She smiled, and Harry did the same back.

"But you had a schoolgirl crush on me from a while back," He commented with a smirk. "I knew."

She cackled with laughter, saying in-between laughs. "Everyone did."

"But did everyone know that I would fall for you?" He questioned back, and Ginny shook her head.

"I don't think that most men end up dating their best friend's little sister." She said, placing a soft kiss on Harry's cheek and she could feel the blood rush to his cheeks.

"I reckon you know I missed you," He said awkwardly. "It was hard for all of us to be away from you and your family. And after Ron left—."

"Ron what!" Ginny turned toward him quickly, and Harry stammered.

"Ron left?" He repeated, and Ginny's eyes were widened by shock. "He came back a few weeks later, and I forgave him. But Hermione was a mess."

"I reckon she was!" Ginny said, her voice taking a louder tone. "Ron _left_ her."

"Hold on Ginny," Harry placed a hand on her shoulder. "Relax, it's all over and done."

"No," She fought back. "Tell me what happened."

"It's noth—,"

"Tell me." She repeated sternly. "Now." To ease up the tension, she flashed a quick smile, leaving Harry with a small laugh.

"Well," He began. "It all started when Ron was splinched when we were apparating. We all took times wearing the locket, and when Ron wore it he was particularly… irritated. One day, Ron was wearing the locket and he was just pushed over the edge and left."

"What locket?" She questioned, and Harry then realized what he had said and what she did not know. He made a quiet sound, and Ginny questioned again. "Harry?"

"The story is really long and complicated…" He stalled. "I don't know if we're ready for it…"

"We'll manage." She said back, the words that Harry had wished she had not said. "But if it's hard for you, you can stop anytime." She added. He didn't want guilt from others, and he didn't want people to know quite yet what had happened. However, he trusted her with all of his life and he began;

"Basically, it all started with Dumbledore in sixth year…"

*~*~*~*

"So you know now?" Ron asked, leaning back casually on the couch. Leaning against his legs, Hermione read an old _Quibbler_ with the title _Support Harry Potter_ plastered on the front, along with a picture of Harry. "That must've been a long story."

"I could write a book about it all," Hermione sighed. "As long as Rita Skeeter doesn't beat me to it."

"I won't let her," Harry responded with a slight growl, his voice still friendly. "And I'll get your brothers to come and help me do that. I reckon that we could take her down." Harry pushed Ginny slightly with his elbow.

"That's right." Ginny said, and Ron nodded along with her. Hermione turned back to her Quibbler with a shake of a head and a roll of the eyes; a classic Hermione gesture.

"Were you surprised by any of it?" Hermione said, her eyes just peering over her magazine.

"From you lot, I wasn't surprised that much." Ron tilted his head to the side to question Ginny's statement.

"Are you joking?" Ron questioned. "We broke into Gringotts for Merlin's sake!"

"Well, I was surprised by some of it," Ginny admitted. "The thing that surprised me the most was when you broke into the Ministry, I mean, that was mental! Who's idea was that?" Ginny laughed.

"Harry's!" Ron and Hermione said in unison, Ron's finger pointing in Harry's direction.

"So I guess that was my fault." Harry said, taking off his glasses and cleaning them with his shirt, too lazy to take out his wand. "But I wasn't the only one with these insane ideas." He fought back.

"Well," Ron said, looking down at his twiddling thumbs.

"I'm not going to argue with anyone right now." Harry laughed a bit. "I'd rather not make a complete fool of myself right now."

"But Harry," Hermione set her magazine down for the first time. "You will make a fool of yourself. It's in your blood." A smirk came from Hermione as she lifted the magazine back to her face and began to read again. Harry had let out a small chuckle, which Ginny brushed off, as she knew it would be a long story. Ron, on the other hand, was looking around with an extremely confused look spread about his face.

*~*~*~*~*

The steps seemed to grow longer as Harry and Ginny made their way down the staircases, their bodies still aching in places from the fatiguing battle. Many of the railings were chipped; some were missing massive pieces that were big enough to fit Hagrid through. Professor McGonagall had cleared the blood away the day before, and Filch had hung up the pictures that survived the battle.

"Good day to you Mr. Potter," Sir Cadogan said, tipping his head towards us. "And to you, Miss Weasley."

"You too," Harry said back, and Ginny simply smiled back at him. The two took a few more steps down the staircases before Harry heard a voice.

"Harry." A woman's voice spoke; Harry stopped walking and looked towards Ginny's direction.

"Did you say something Gin?" He asked, and she shook her head, a quizzical look on her face.

"I didn't say anything, Harry. Are you sure you heard something?"

"I could've sworn I heard—," He looked over her head to see another redheaded woman, her eyes exactly like Harry's inside a portrait frame. An indescribable feeling

"Mum."

"I knew you could do it," She smiled, and a cough came from James's portrait next to hers, and she rolled her eyes. "We knew you could do it."

"That's right." James nodded smugly. "We're so proud of you son."

"Thanks Mum and Dad," Harry said. "Seems like I haven't talked to you in a while."

"Quite a while ago, wasn't it?" James said.

"It was four days ago." Lily corrected, and Harry soon remember where had had seen them.

"Yeah, it was…" Harry said awkwardly. He then felt Ginny move her fingers against his hand. "Oh, mum, dad. This is Ginny."

"We remember you quite well dear," Lily said, and Harry felt Ginny awkwardly move her fingers against his once again. This caused him to smirk a bit.

"So," Harry said. "Do you have any idea where Remus is?" Harry questioned, a touch of sympathy and pain coursing throughout his body, his heart being stabbed by a thousand tiny knives; a lump gathered in his throat.

"He and Tonks have yet to be hung up on the wall," Lily answered softly, a disappointed sound hidden in her voice. James noticed it right away.

"Come on Lils," James pleaded, his arm cut through the two portraits as his hand lay on his wife's shoulder. It looked as thought his arm has been chopped in two. "Talk to me, I'm not all that boring."

Lily merely rolled her eyes. Harry stood there uncomfortably, his eyes moving back and forth from his mother and father as if his eyes were having a spastic attack.

"Lils," He said her name again. Harry watched as his mother and father talked a bit, James attempting to calm her down. From what Harry had been told, Lily was not one to calm that quickly.

"I'm going to go see Ron and Hermione, I'll meet you down there." Ginny kissed his cheek and she began to descend down the stairs. Ginny was nearly at the Great Hall once Lily had noticed she had gone.

"Where did Ginny go?"

"Down to see Ron and Hermione, mum." Harry felt weird saying this to his mother; he assumed that he would never talk to either of his parents again after the night in the forest. He watched as James tried to fix the situation, and she just smiled a bit.

"I just feel like talking to another woman, that's all James. One can only take sixteen years of you alone." Attitude dripped on the edge of her voice.

"Fine," He crossed his arms. "I can get you to talk to me, just you watch." He said this cockily.

"Might take you six years again mate, but she'll come around." Sirius commented from above, a snicker accompanied. Harry couldn't help but hide a smile and sneak a chuckle. It looked as though Sirius had just gone and visited another portrait.

"Shut it Sirius," Lily warned, but Sirius knew the limits, often pushing them, but never breaking them.

"You know him well enough Lils…" James defended him.

"James…" Lily shook her head, using her thumb and forefinger to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Lily."

"So Harry!" Sirius interrupted. Harry smiled at his parents while they fought to the death of each other. "That was Ron's sister, yeah?"

"She is, yeah." Harry said as he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. Sirius smirked.

"So, how'd you snag her?" Sirius asked. Harry shuffled his feet uncomfortably, and the ground seemed to be more interesting than telling his parents and godfather about his love life.

"I-uhh… kissed her sixth year." He replied sheepishly. "In the common room after a Quidditch match."

"Was it special?" Lily asked, and she could sense James' eye roll a mile away. "Oh James, shut it."

"Uh, yeah, you could say that." Harry replied awkwardly. "We were all pretty happy anyway, we'd just won the cup."

"Way to keep Gryffindor on top, son." James said. "So, you caught the snitch, I assume?"

"Actually, I didn't play." Harry replied.

"What? Why didn't you play?" Sirius asked.

"I had…uhh…I had detention." He said. He watched as Lily's eyes grew a bit wide, and he felt his first scolding (that he could recall) from his mother coming on. His father's lips grew into his famous smirk, and Sirius' eyes glowed.

"Harry James Potter!"

"I'm so proud! My godson, in detention!"

"You're proud, Padfoot? My son is the one in detention! So what'd you do to get in detention?"

"Boys, honestly?" Lily asked loudly. James looked down shamefully (you could still see a hint of a smirk on his lips) , and Lily looked back at Harry. He couldn't help but smirk at these conversations between his family. They made him smile. He hadn't seen this side of his family before, let alone seen his family that much.

"He has your smirk, James." Lily commented. "I bet if you ask Ginny, she'd probably say that it's rather…" She scanned for the word in her brain.

"Charming?" James added, and she nodded a bit.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. But Harry, you two really are meant to be together." Lily commented. "I knew the day would come when you and Ginny would see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"Really? You saw them together?" James questioned. "Don't be offended by this, Harry. You two are a couple, and all of that. Reminds me a bit of your mum and I. But I recall that I always saw him with that Hermione girl."

"No, no, no." Harry said quickly, before anyone else could get a word in. "She's like my sister, I could never do that. Even if I did somewhat like her, she's with Ron and—,"

"Ron and Hermione?" Sirius asked quickly, and Harry nodded his head. "When did this happen! I'm supposed to be told these things!" He exclaimed, and slumped over in a childish pout once finished.

"Well, if you haven't noticed Sirius, we're dead." James poked his shoulder, to receive a slap from Sirius.

"I'm sorry that you didn't have a chance to live with this Harry," Lily apologized. "You would've grown up to be the oddest child."

"I'm odd either way, aren't I, mum?" Harry asked.

"Well…" Lily began, but Sirius cut her off once again.

"So tell us about Ron and Hermione." Sirius spoke. "When did this happen? It was sixth year wasn't it?"

"It was a few days ago…" Harry said, a bit frightened of Sirius's curiousness about Ron and Hermione, a tad bit creepy in Harry's opinion.

"Damn…" Sirius muttered whilst shaking his head. Harry merely stood there, confused. A bit frightened as well.

"What's going on here?" Harry asked, and James nodded his head to Harry's statement, as he too had no clue.

"Sirius?" Lily asked.

"Well, do you suppose that all the order did was lounge around all day talking Voldemort? We knew those two fancied each other before either of them did." He chuckled. "We had a bit of fun with things in the order, kill us if you want to. We made a few bets, but it was merely just to lighten the mood."

"That's rather true, actually." Harry laughed. "Now I can tell those two that everyone else knew about them two before they did. Gin and I try to tell them all the time, they never seem to listen."

"Well, if they need sense talked into them every once in a while, send them down to my portrait, Harry. Now you'll have a while to talk to us before you leave, so go on with Ginny." Sirius winked.

"Alright, I'll see you later." Harry nodded goodbye as Lily blew a kiss. James and Sirius were just waving like lunatics. You know, the normal goodbye gesture.

Harry walked down the marble stairs, looking at all of the portraits, some empty but their nametags evident. Cedric Diggory, Colin Creevey, Remus Lupin & Nymphadora Tonks were only some of the many names that he passed that stabbed at his heart. He felt that he had to accept these deaths as triumphs of their lives, dying for the better good, he just hadn't figured out how just yet.

*~*~*~*~*

The afternoon sun was beating down on the young wizards' foreheads. Sweat dripped from Harry's brow as he recollected the quaffle from behind the post. Ron flew by the three remaining hoops that stood in the remains of the Quidditch pitch. The only things not in ruin were the three hoops, and the Gryffindor spectator stands; Ron and Harry had already repaired them the previous day.

"Come on, mate." Ron taunted. "My sister could make a better shot than that!"

"Well, you're sister is a chaser, isn't she?" Harry fought back, and Ron soon realized that his talk had backfired on him. Harry smirked at his win, and moved his broom a bit, causing Ron to do the same. "So you think that you'll actually block this one?"

"You bet your arse I will. I even believe I have a song named after me." He said smugly. "Weasley is our king, Weasley is our king…" He began to chant, each verse getting louder and more obnoxious than the last.

"Great…" Harry muttered as Ron boasted about his broom, using his arms in exaggeration of the song, shooting them up in the air. Harry felt a bit obliged to aim the quaffle in Ron's direction as he paraded about the hoops in song, but he felt that drawing back his arm and launching it into the hoop was a much better choice.

"What was that for?" Ron yelled, pointing towards the hoops where the quaffle had soared through. "That was not fair!"

"That was fair. Totally and completely fair." Harry fought back with a laugh. "While you were singing your little chant, I took advantage of the open hoop."

"I never said I was ready,"

"That doesn't mean I can't shoot."

"Yes it does!"

"Does not."

"I was just singing."

"More like boasting."

"Like I was boasting, It was more of a—,"

"HEY!" Neville yelled from below, mounting his broom and soaring up to Ron and Harry's level. "I could hear you two bickering like a married couple all the way from the lower pitch."

"We were not bickering like a—," Ron fought.

"We were, but it was just a bit of competition that we were debating about, that's all." Harry said, and Ron pouted the slightest bit as Harry had cut him off.

"What were you two arguing about then?" Neville asked. "Did you launch the Quaffle at his face or something? I don't see any more bruises than what we all had already."

"I would've caught it had he done that." Ron spoke up, and Harry rolled his eyes at Ron's response. "No, the real deal is, is that Harry had shot the Quaffle before I had said that I was ready. That means that the shot doesn't count."

"But you were singing your own song around the hoops, it's not my fault you weren't ready!"

"Well, I'll let you two finish this argument by yourselves. I merely came to tell you that dinner was ready, and that Hermione had been asking for you two."

"Oh," Ron said. "Tell her that we'll be right there."

Ron flew down a tad bit and Harry threw the Quaffle into the posts once again.

"That wasn't necessary, mate."

*~*~*~*

"Ron, that was fair!" Hermione said. She had taken Harry's side on the matter. "You were being a prat, therefore, Harry took advantage. It's a fair game."

"Hermione, I don't think you understand…" Ron took her hand in his and turned his body to face her. "He's a cheater, therefore, I won."

"I didn't cheat…"

"To hell you didn't cheat." Ron mumbled.

"Really? Cause I was fair."

"You were not!"

"How was I not fair?"

"You threw the bloody quaffle before I was ready! It's against Quidditch rules!" Ron exclaimed.

"Oliver Wood got knocked out during a game and Slytherin kept shooting goals, now how could that not be fair? Based on that game?"

"Okay! Nobody won." Hermione exclaimed, rubbing her temples as she said it. "If you guys can't settle it, then nobody won. Is that fair?"

"I guess." Harry said.

"No, it's not!" Ron exclaimed. "I won."

"Ron, just settle with a tie. It's not that big of a deal." Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's just a silly little game of Quidditch."

"Little?"

"Well, it wasn't the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor, now was it?" Hermione retorted back, and Ron shrugged in an awkward agreement.

"Well, that's settled then." Harry smiled, and Ron coughed loudly.

"So, Harry." Hermione spoke. "What'd you do this morning? Other than telling Ginny this complex story of ours."

"Yeah, just a bit complex." Ron laughed.

"Oh shut it." Hermione leaned against him and moved a bit closer. He smiled at the sudden difference in interaction between Ron and Hermione. They were a couple now, and although he'd known about them before they had realized, it was still a new change he would get used to. "So, are you going to answer my question, Harry?"

"Uhh…yeah. I talked to my mum and dad for a while. Gin & I had some breakfast, and then Ron and I had a completely fair game of Quidditch going."

Hermione saw Ron raise his arm, his mouth open to protest, but Hermione pushed it down.

"That's your dream from last night? The one with your parents." Hermione said, and Harry shook his head. "How could you possibly…"

"The portraits on the staircases." Harry cut her off before she had time to counter attack. "Everyone who died at the battle or in the war got hung up near the staircases. Or at least the ones they could conjure into a portrait."

"Really?" Ron asked, a lump in his throat gathering. "Does that mean that he's there? Is Fred there?" Ron asked.

"He's there, but I believe that he's gone off to another portrait. I didn't get a chance to talk to him." Harry said. "We can go down and talk to them if you want, Ron. I reckon he's back by now."

"That's alright. I reckon it's better if I don't see him right now…" Ron pushed down a lump in his throat, and smiled weakly. Hermione hugged him closer while taking his hand in hers. Ron automatically melted into her and held her even closer.

"So, how was your day so far, Hermione?" Harry said, saving Ron from saying anything more than he needed to.

"Well, I woke up around five, out of habit I guess. Then I had breakfast with Ron and then I merely just cleaned the grounds for the rest of the time. Ron left me around halfway through to have that little match with you, and that's it." She smiled.

"We woke up too early in that tent." Ron grumbled. "We had nothing to do! Why did we have to wake up so early?"

Hermione merely laughed at this, and Harry smiled. "So, I think I'll be off. We're leaving tonight and I wanted to get one last word in with my parents before I leave."

"Alright."

"Does that feel weird, Harry?" Hermione asked as Harry stood up. "If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"Does what feel weird?"

"Talking to your parents, and saying that you're going to talk to them. Doesn't it feel a bit odd?" She questioned.

"You could say that." He nodded and smiled. "Well, I'll see you lot at dinner." With that, Harry made his way down the staircases to find the portraits once again.

"Harry!" He heard his name being projected from a portrait. "I hope you remember me."

"How could I forget you?" Harry asked, looking at Fred Weasley's face.

"I don't know, I reckon you've been snogging my sister long enough to get some sort of brain damage." He laughed. "But I reckon it can't be too bad, you still remember your favorite Weasley brother." He puffed out his chest, and Harry gave a slight chuckle at this.

"Exactly." Harry laughed. "So, how's it been for you?"

"A bit quiet, actually. I don't work that well with quiet. Makes me fidget quite a bit."

"Okay then." Harry said awkwardly, rolling back and forth on his heels.

"How are they doing?" Fred asked, his voice more soft. "I mean, my family." Harry shuffled his feet a little bit, and then ran his fingers through his hair.

"Depends on who you are talking about here."

"George and Mum." The names seemed difficult for Fred to say, and his eyes settled on the bottom of the portrait. He looked up into Harry's eyes, a single tear down his cheek. "How's Georgie?"

"I honestly haven't talked to him." Harry admitted. "He's been with your mum for a while. He's keeping to himself nowadays."

"And Mum?"

"She's getting better with each day. We all still miss you though." Harry commented, and he saw Fred nearly shed another tear. "Would you like me to send them up?"

"Not right now...I couldn't take it." This nearly broke Harry's heart. All of this, though the portraits were a good idea, might make him realize things even further that don't help the situation. "Harry. I'm going to talk to Cedric now, if that's alright."

"Yeah, give him my best yeah? And you too." Harry smiled as Fred dipped his head in a goodbye and walked out of his portrait, tears beginning to free flow from Fred's glossy eyes.

Again, he began to walk down the staircases; with each step he heard a voice that he had once heard in a time that seemed a long time ago.

"Harry!" Tonks said, and Harry kept on walking.

"Harry, for Merlin's sake!"

"SON! Turn around!"

Harry did, and he realized that he had passed the place that he had been searching for. His parents and Sirius had been joined by the Lupins.

"Good to see you Harry!" Tonks exclaimed. "It's been quite a while."

"Seems that way, doesn't it?" Harry said, a sad blanket covering his heart. The realization of the portraits had just hit him. Although it was nice to finally talk to everyone, he had to accept that all of these people were not there anymore and he must let go. He had to move on, somehow, but one day wouldn't hurt as much as the next would. It was like what Dumbledore quoted about the Mirror of Erised, men would go insane in front of it.

The portraits are the same way. They are both a positive and negative impact on the process of recovery and acceptance, and they are the obstacles that everyone must overcome. But, the question Harry was still wondering was, _how?_

"So, have you seen him?" Tonks asked, her emotions well hidden behind her face. "Teddy? Is he well?"

"He hasn't even changed." Harry smiled weakly, his acting skills clearly not presenting themselves. "Though, I feel that he is going to be like you, Tonks. He likes to scrunch up his nose quite a bit."

"I figured that he would be like me, however Remus was afraid he would inherit his condition. But I believe Teddy could never hurt a fly, he's a loving little boy."

"I can tell already." Harry said, and then began to rock back and forth on his heels awkwardly.

"TONKS! James is being an arsehole again, please come over here?" Harry heard another woman yell, and this made Harry laugh. Tonks rolled her eyes and then glanced over to Harry.

"Your mother calls." Tonks saluted Harry before diving down into the portraits where Lily and James sat in the same portrait. Harry began to walk past them, but not before telling his mother to watch her language. She merely told him to bugger off, and then winked at him. He laughed at this, knowing this was his family.

His crazy and mixed up family.

"Harry!" He heard someone else call out his name, and he turned to find nobody behind him. "Up here on the wall, Harry." Harry looked to find Cedric Diggory in a portrait, beaming smile and all.

"Hey Cedric. Sorry, I'll never quite get used to that."

"No, no. It's quite alright." Cedric laughed and then gazed down at his fidgeting hands. "I was actually wondering if I could ask you a question."

"A question?" Harry repeated and Cedric merely nodded. "Err…yeah, sure. Shoot."

"Have you seen Cho around the castle at all?" Cedric asked, and Harry felt his heart ache. "Or has she gone home with her family already?"

"I haven't seen her since the battle…I'm sorry Cedric." Harry apologized awkwardly.

"No, it's not your fault." Cedric laughed nervously, looking around the rest of the room (or what bit he could see). "And I do have another question, this one is bit less awkward."

"Brilliant." Harry laughed.

"The prize money, from the tournament…what'd you do with it?" Cedric asked with a smile. "Knowing you, Harry, you either saved it or gave it away."

"Ahh… I gave it away. Fred and George needed money for their joke shop, so I was the main investor." Harry responded with a small chuckle and a smile.

"Ha, I knew those two would end up in that business. I would've bet good money on that, if I had thought of making the bet in the first place." His eyes seemed to sparkle with happiness when thinking of those days, when laughter and work was all school was really about. Before the darkness settled over the world. "Speaking of Fred, I think I'll go pay him a visit now."

"Alright, but hey, Cedric." Harry said before Cedric had left his portrait.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Cho was pretty beat up when you didn't come back. It broke everyone's heart to see her like that, and with you gone…the school was sad for weeks." He said. "She loved you, you know."

"I know." Cedric said, a small tear in the corner of his eye. "I also know you asked her to the Yule Ball."

"Come again?" Harry asked, taken aback by the sudden change of conversation.

"I knew you fancied her, she said to asked her to the Yule Ball. And then Fred told me you dated the next year. But I'm fine with it… truly." Cedric said with a weak smile. "Now, go see that girl at the top of the steps. She's been waiting for you for a few minutes now." He said with a wink, and then he was out of sight.

Harry turned around to see a smiling Ginny sitting on the top of the staircases. He began to walk towards her, but he felt the ground move underneath him.

"Damn staircases." He muttered a bit too loudly, to which he had Ginny laughing, almost to tears.

*~*~*~*~*

"Ron and I are going down to the lake, would you like to come?" Hermione asked. Ginny sat in the Gryffindor common room reading the newest Daily Prophet that had just been flown in today at breakfast. (Harry Potter Defeats Voldemort! Exclusive story on page 7.)

"I'm alright, thank you though." Ginny smiled and pushed a stray hair out of her face. Hermione began to turn and walk out of the common room but Ginny said something to stop her.

"You two are good, then?" Ginny asked, placing her paper on the table and pulling her knees to her chest. "I mean…it's my brother. He can be a lot to handle sometimes."

"I've come to notice that much." Hermione smirked, and then she nodded her head. "We're good, yeah. We're really good."

"No rows yet?" Ginny raised her eyebrows and Hermione laughed quite loudly.

"No, not yet. I'm sure they're going to be coming in the near future." She laughs. "But if I am to meet Ron in five minutes, I'll be going now."

"Alright, we'll meet up with you later." A smile was shared between the two girls before Hermione left the common room, leaving Ginny to another time of silence. Ginny had just picked up the Daily Prophet from the table when she heard a loud scream followed by a sound of shattering glass. As fast as she could, Ginny nearly sprinted up the stairs towards the boys' dormitory, from where the sounds had come from.

Ginny burst through the door, her hair in a puffy mess and her eyes distraught. She looked around quickly to observe the scene. Near the wall across the room, a puddle of broken glass lay in front of it. Harry sat on the side of his bed with his face buried in his hands and sobs were racking over his body. Ginny's face softened as she slowly walked over to the broken frame.

" _Reparo_." Ginny whispered, the glass flying back to the frame. Ginny bent down to pick up picture that was in the frame, and she soon discovered that there were two photographs. The photograph in front was a picture of Lupin & Tonks with their son, Teddy's hair already a vibrant turquoise. She frowned at this, and then glanced over at Harry. Surely he had noticed she was in there, but he hadn't moved an inch. Then, Ginny flipped to the next photograph.

James & Lily held a baby Harry, their smiles as wide as the horizon behind them. The bouncing baby giggled with happiness, his parents looking as happy as he did. Her pitiful eyes glanced to Harry, and then she placed the pictures inside the frame. She threw the fixed frame carefully onto Ron's bed, being careful that it didn't bounce off.

Cautiously, she made her way over to Harry and sat next to him. Harry's form didn't change when he felt the bed dip to Ginny's weight, his body still leaned forward and tears still fell from his cheeks.

"Harry…" Ginny said, her hand at the small of Harry's back. "Love."

Harry sniffed and glanced up at Ginny. His troubled eyes met her brown ones only for a second before he quickly diverted them. Then, Ginny took one of Harry's fisted hands into her own soft one and unfolded it, her thumb running over the top of his hand gently. After a few moments of silence, only accompanied by Harry sniffing his nose, Harry turned his face to look into her eyes.

His eyes were red & bloodshot, filled with salty tears. Emotions seemed to be brimming at the edge, and then finally spilling over in his eyes.

"I-I…" Harry began to say, but Ginny shook her head.

"You don't need to explain, Harry. I understand." Harry looked at her lovingly, but then shook his head.

"No, I need to… get this off my chest." He said slowly, a deep breathe followed. "It's been driving me mad all day."

"Go on." Harry smiled weakly, and then took another series of deep breaths before starting.

"These portraits…they're of people that have died. People who have lost their lives for this war against Voldemort, and yet they are still here. They live in those portraits and they can still talk to me. It's like they are still here with me and it's like they never died. I can talk to them, and they can even talk to me." Harry confessed, the tears in his eyes lessening. "And then I'm expected to get over all of these people leaving…and dying…I just… can't handle all of this."

"Harry…" Ginny said, running her hand through Harry's hair and then letting it fall upon his cheek. She brushed away a few stray tears from his cheek. "You've been so courageous the past years. You've been so strong in all this fighting. And now that's it's all done…" She paused, and then turned his head so he's looking in her eyes. "You're free, Harry."

"I'll never be free, Gin." He whispered, and her hand fell from his cheek. "It's all over, yes. But I'll never be free."

"Harry, you can't think like that—,"

"But it's the truth, Ginny." He said back, his posture relaxing a bit. "I'll always be haunted by these people. The people that died while I could've been saving them!"

"You can't save everyone, Harry."

"But I didn't try!" Harry said loudly, and then Ginny stood up quickly.

"Oh, to hell you didn't try! YOU defeated Voldemort. Harry, you. Not anyone else. You saved millions of lives by defeating him!" She yelled back, her voice at a much higher octave. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ginny quickly cut him off. "And I swear, Harry Potter. If you try and argue with me and say you could've done something else, you're wrong. You did everything you could."

"You really think that?" Harry asked quietly after a few moments of silence.

"No, I _know_ that." Ginny barely had enough time to say that before Harry stood up and pulled her close to him. His arms wrapped around her waist tightly as he pulled her closer into a hug, his head buried in the crook of her neck.

"Thank you." He whispered into her neck, and chills ran down Ginny's spine. She brushed her fingers through his hair for a while, then she broke the silence.

"Ready to go home?" She whispered a few moments later as pulled his head back and looked into her eyes.

He nodded.

 **A/N: Well...that was a bit longer than I expected** **that's what she said**

 **The first two chapters of this story have been rewritten, so they are considerably longer than my other chapters. The other chapters have, obviously, not been rewritten yet. The quality of writing is not as good as this chapter is… please keep that in mind. Seriously - I was 12 when I wrote the next chapter.**

I'd love for you to leave a review, even if it is just a little smiley face, I'd really appreciate it!


	3. Chapter 3: Surprises

*Has not been rewritten, brace yourself and I love you in advance

Chapter 3

Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled him down the stairs. They ran to the site of the port key and they saw the Weasleys gathered around it.

"Hurry up dears it is going to lea…" Mrs. Weasley was interrupted by the pull of the port key. Harry & Ginny were left behind. All alone in a big castle. Harry just had to apparate them to the burrow, just outside the boundary so that way didn't get mad. Harry walked Ginny to the boundary right near Hagrid's hut. He hugged her and they got pulled into the awful feeling of apparation. They landed right outside the protective boundary and fell backwards.

"Whoa, I will never get used to that." Ginny said brushing off her clothes.

"Wait, this is your seventh year. You didn't take the classes?" Did they even have them this year while he was gone?

"Yes I did."

"You failed them?"

"No. Like I said I took them I just wasn't seventeen yet so I was one of the five who couldn't take it in my year." Harry had forgotten she wasn't seventeen. Yet, earlier that day, Harry & Tonks had that talk about him proposing.

"Oh just like me then?" Harry said with a smirk. They had almost everything in common. They both liked Quidditch, they both fought against evil, and they were both possessed with Voldemort at one time.

"Ya, just like you." Ginny confirmed. "I need to tell you somethi…" Ginny said but she was interrupted by the scream on .

"HARRY! GINNY! I WAS SO WORRIED!" Mrs. Weasley said as she engulfed them in a hug.

"Mum…." Ginny whined. "We were only gone for five minutes." Ginny said getting out of her mother's death grip and brushed herself off. then let go of Harry.

"Ok then, lunch is going to be done in two hours. I presume you want to spend the time with each other so I will send Ron or Hermione to come and fetch you." Mrs. Weasley said and turned on the spot and walked back to the Burrow.

"So…." Harry said walking into the boundary of the Burrow. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't have the slightest clue." Ginny replied. She had an idea but it was her place. Would he tell Ron or anyone for that matter? She trusted him. She decided to take the risk. "Follow me." She walked off towards the trees with Harry behind her walking off toward her secret place. They held hands as they walked and they talked about almost anything they could think of.

"Bloody Hell Ginny, how long is this walk?" Harry said using Ron's signature quote. They had been walking for nearly fifty minutes now.

"Not that long I promise. See here we are." Harry was stunned. Ginny's little hideaway was beautiful, though beautiful was an understatement. The sparkling, blue water flowing down the side of the cliff was the main component to the garden. Flowers of different kinds bloomed in the soil. The bright green grass flowed in the summer breeze. Bushes scattered amongst the ground were the boundaries. The faint sound of a bird's chirp caused Harry to snap back into it.

Harry couldn't speak; he was speechless. "This is where I come to just calm down and have my own little secret world. It is a bit of a walk but I think it's worth it." Ginny explained. "Since I was a little girl, I would come up here and just let my imagination fly. I sound like Luna more and more each day don't I?" Ginny laughed a little then Harry said;

"Wow." Just the word that Ginny was wishing he didn't say. It was hard to carry off a conversation with the other person just saying 'wow'.

"Ya so what do you want to do? You could conjure up a blanket or something." She just wanted to relax and spend time with him. She hadn't seen him for a year or eight months or whatever amount of time that she was away from him.

"I know what I want to do." He looked her straight in the eye and that was her cue to lean in and start to kiss him. She did so and when his lips just grazed hers, he flipped her up onto his back and carried her to the edge of the lake.

"Harry James Potter! Don't you dare!" Ginny yelled at him. They both knew they were going in and they both knew it was a joke.

"Too late." Harry said as they both crashed into the perfect sapphire water. The water was not at all cold or warm, it was just regular temperature. Both of them were wearing clothes meant to be dry and warm not wet.

"Harry. Come here." Ginny said seductively. She wiggled her eyebrows and he felt all weird. He swam over to the shallow part where they could stand; it was also near a cliff where you would fall off the side. She pulled his shirt to make him come closer. She could hear his racing heart beating. She looked into his eyes and put her arms around his neck. The world stopped spinning. Time stopped. Nothing in this world moved or spoke. Just Harry & Ginny in the middle of a lake. The two on them alone in the middle of a forest, away from any Weasley. Harry swallowed. She leaned in and just as her lips brushed his, she pulled him into the deeper water.

"I guess I deserved that one. Well played Weasley." Harry said flipping out his hair. He, magically, still had his glasses on.

"Ya I have my ways." She said. "Let's go oh wait I have a better idea." She pulled on his shirt again, the same way she had before. He knew it was another trick, Ginny had never acted this way before. She closed the tiniest gap you could think of. They were practically molded together. She looked at him lovingly, her eyes filled with hunger. This time was for real definitely. He put his hands on her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck once again. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." He whispered back. Then, they started to kiss. It started out as a sweet innocent kiss but then turned into a passionate kiss. They were in the middle of a lake, kissing madly, soaking wet. Yet, nothing else mattered to them. Just the person standing across from them. It lasted too short for both their likings.

"That time you didn't push me into the water." Harry said. "I thought you were tricking me again."

"Oh what makes you think I would do that?" She said innocently. "We should head back and just hang out there; I would get so mad if someone else found out about this place." She said. Harry didn't really want to walk all the way back well he would be with her and he was in shape enough to but he just didn't want to. He had an idea.

"Gin. Let's get dry and I have another idea." They both got out of the water and Harry used the drying spell he had used last year to dry their clothes. To Ginny's liking, they had to take off their clothes to dry them or else you would be cooked. The force of the heat and all the factors would kill you. To her disliking, Harry conjured up a towel for her to wear. She hadn't really thought about sleeping with Harry. She liked the idea of committing herself to Harry just she knew she wasn't ready. Harry had the exact same thoughts. When their clothes were all dry, they sat down on the grass and stared into space for a couple minutes.

"We should head back." Ginny said getting up and heading towards the exit.

"Wait Gin." Harry said. He went behind the bush and pulled out his new Firebolt. "Thought we could fly." Harry said.

"Where's my broom?" Ginny asked, curious.

"You won't need it. You'll be riding with me."

"You can do that?" She asked. She never really knew you could do that.

"Ya trust me. Come on. Hop on. Do you want front or back?" He asked.

"Front. I want to control it." She said mischievously.

"Gin. I know you like to go fast but this is faster than the broom you are used to. Try and take it slow and I promise you can go faster when you are on the broom by yourself." She nodded and climbed onto the broom. Harry had already gotten on the back.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Why are you asking me? Go ahead." He said. Then, they were off. She didn't go fast or slow just like a medium speed. They got there twenty minutes early according to Ginny. Then Harry corrected her saying they had thirty minutes left. They kept playfully bickering about how much time was left until no time was actually left.

"Hey you two lovebirds. Get inside and eat." George said. He was actually talking? AND trying to make a joke. They were getting the old Georgie back. They all walked inside to find a visitor. Angelina Johnson, Fred's old girlfriend. She looked completely in control and fine. They had broken up but there is no doubt that she missed him.

"Hey Angie, What are you doin' here?" Ginny asked. Angelina & Ginny had become close because she was always over.

"Just wanted to stop by. I just like the feel of this place and Molly invited me to stay because my flat was blown up so I have to search for a new one."

"You know since I live right above the shop you can just bunk with me for a while. You said you wanted a job, well now you've got one." George said.

"Oh ok dear. You can stay here if you like always remember that." Mrs. Weasley said sadly.

"I'll go get your stuff." George said.

"Let me help you." Angelina said. They laughed and walked up to Percy's room where Angelina was supposed to stay.

"There's something going on with those two I swear I just say George hold her hand." Hermione said, walking in.

"No really Hermione?" Ron said playfully. "He was miserable until she came along. Think about it?"

"Ron, you knew what I meant. So, what's up?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing new. Hermione you saw us like two hours ago." Harry said.

"No, I saw you yesterday, I haven't seen you today. You only saw Ron for like I don't know maybe twenty seconds." Hermione pointed out.

"Ok. You're right. There's only one thing on my mind right now and that is food. Where is it?" Harry said, he sounded like Ron.

"Ok, I swear, I sound like Luna and you sound like Ron more each day." Ginny said.

"Ok, Ron where's the food. Ginny made me walk so lon…." He looked at Ginny and she was giving him the I-Will-Kill-You look. "She made me walk so long because she lost the quaffle. She's been having very bad aim today." She squinted her eyes at him. "Hey, you do that to me, I embarrass you."

"Fine. I will get you someday Potter. Just you wait."

"I'm screwed." Harry muttered.

"Oo! Here's the food Harry!" Ron said looking into a picnic basket. "Why the hell is the lunch in a bloody picnic basket?!" Ron said. "We were just gonna eat inside. Oh here's another one." Ron said pulling them out. "Why are there two?" Ron asked.

"Mum said that we could go out on like couple's picnics like a date or something." Ginny explained.

"Ok, so I want to go with Harry so girl's picnic guy's lunch?" Ron asked.

"Awww you wanna go on a date with your boyfriend?" Ginny asked in a little baby voice.

"He's your boyfriend thank you very much. I just need to talk to him." Ron gave her the back-off look.

"Say it right now. He's not going to keep it from me." Ginny looked at him.

"Fine, Harry. If you hurt her, I will beat your ass." Ron looked at him. The girls burst out into laughter. Harry just looked like he was a little kid trying not to laugh. The laughter went on for at least a minute. Ron finally said something.

"Ok! I was serious! Please just stop laughing or else!" That just made more laughter come throughout the room. "OK! I will bring Voldemort back from the dead if you don't shut up bloody hell up!" The room went silent and Harry turned a little green. "I was just kidding I just needed you shut up ok? No offense." Harry returned to his original color.

"Ok let's get on with our lives and move on from that. Forget it. So what are we going to do now?" Harry said. They heard someone apparate outside the boundary. A cloaked figure stood there and started walking towards the burrow. They all just stood there until it got to the door. They opened it and then they said.

"Hello Harry." Mouth dropped, Harry stood there doing nothing. Only breathing.

xx


	4. Chapter 4: Scandals

**Chapter 4**

Ginny ran to him and threw her arms around him. "I missed you!" She said burying her head into his shoulder.

"Ok Ginny, please. You say me two days ago." He said.

"I know! But I hadn't seen you for like ever before that!" She backed up off him.

"Harry." He said politely.

"Percy. How's it going?" Harry asked trying to make some small talk.

"Nothing new. Just trying to not get caught by death eaters. Well, who isn't anyways?" He tried to make a joke. It didn't work. "Well then, uhhh where's mum?" He asked.

Hermione spoke up and said "She's at Hogwarts helping with the clean up from the battle."

"Really? Because I was just there and Minerva said she hasn't seen her since yesterday. So where's Dad?" Percy asked them. They hadn't seen their dad since the portkey took off. This was very weird.

"I'll ask George." Ginny said. She walked upstairs and before opening the door she heard a very loud 'OH GEORGE!" Ginny ran back downstairs. Her hands over her ears, and eyes shocked. Hermione understood immediately, she covered her mouth but laughter still escaped.

"What is it Ginny?" Ron asked.

"George wants to see you Ron. He said just to walk right on in." Ginny said.

"Okkkkkkk…. I'll be right back." Ginny hid a sneaky smile. After he was up the stairs, the girls burst into laughter. They had forgotten both Harry and Percy were there.

"What's going on?" Percy asked.

"Yeah Gin, What's up?" Harry asked.

"Well, George and Angelina are having a 'fun time' up there and I heard Angelina scream." Ginny couldn't say more because she was laughing so hard. Hermione did the same.

"No Gin. Please don't tell me you sent Ron to walk in on them… You know…" He said. Percy just looked in utter shock.

"Um Yeah." Ginny said recovering.

"BLOODY HELL!" They heard Ron scream. Ginny hide behind Harry and Ron came running down the stairs. "GINNY! WHY DID YOU SEND ME UP THOSE BLOODY STAIRS?!" Ron screamed. Ginny had seen Ron this angry but she wasn't scared. Usually she was but this time, she had Harry to protect her.

"Because. You're my brother and I'd like to have some fun every once in a while." Ginny responded with innocence.

"You'll have some fun with me." Harry said seductively into her ear. She giggled and smiled at him. By this time, she was standing next to Harry.

"Harry, what did you just say?" Ron said trying to calm down. Harry just walked Ginny over to the couch and they both sat down. "Harry, what did you just say?" Ron repeated. Ginny looked at Harry in the Please-Lie look. Knowing Ron, if he knew, Harry would be dead before he could say 'Snitch'.

"I said that Hermione will have quite a handful." Harry lied. Not a bad lie.

"Yeah I already knew that." Hermione said walking towards Ron. "Calm down. It was just a joke. What did you see anyway?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I saw George with just his boxer shorts and Angelina in her knickers." Ron said rather quietly.

"Oh we thought it was worse we thought he was in her." Ginny said creating more awkwardness.

"Ok, I'd rather see the five year old I met eleven years ago, then the Ginny who is dating my best mate and talks about sex so please just don't." Ron said. Ginny thought and he did have a point. She wouldn't want him talking about sex in front of her, so it was very weird.

"Fine, Ron. You win. Just never talk about Hermione and you in front of me. I don't care if Hermione, just Hermione, tells me just not you Ron." She said.

"Same here." Ron said. He extended his hand and Ginny shook it. "So Hermione let's go eat. I'm starving." Ron said grabbing Hermione's hand, grabbing the basket, and walking out the door.

"You want to eat?" Harry asked.

"Yeah let's go." Ginny said grabbing the basket and walking out the door. "Where do you want to eat?" She asked. He gave her the look. The You-Know-Where-I-Want-To-Go look. Harry went and got the broom and mounted himself on.

"I drive this time." Harry said. Ginny just shrugged and got on. Harry attached the basket to the broom with a spell that Ginny had never heard of. "Hang on." Harry said as they flew off the ground. Harry was going especially fast for this trip because Ron and Hermione were in distance to see which way they were flying. It took him two minutes, going as fast as he could, to get to the paradise. They sat down and talked about everything ever imaginable.

****

The next week flew by. The whole Weasley clan, Harry, and Hermione, had gone back to Hogwarts to help with the cleanup. Harry and Ginny were inseparable as were Ron and Hermione. George and Angelina had been embarrassed about the whole situation and apologized. Yet, Ron was scarred for life. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley showed up the next day from Ireland. had gotten an urgent message from the ministry and said to bring . She, of course, went with him but not before making lunch for the hungry teenagers.

was now the minister's assistant, Kingsley's assistant. Kingsley had been appointed Minister of Magic one day after the battle. Very good news to the Weasley family, and Kingsley had selected as his assistant. Of course, threw a feast onto the table in which Ron loved it. Ron and Hermione had now moved onto the PDA, which Ginny found very disgusting. Harry and Ginny kept it mild. An occasional quick kiss, holding hands and sitting close together. Ginny was the only girl unlike Ron who could snog Hermione senseless and no one would care. If Harry did that, he was dead.

Harry had started to have nightmares of the final battle the day after his little adventure with Ginny. Harry had tried to put the silencing charm around his bed, but he kept breaking it. When Ginny heard him, she would come and calm him down. Only Ginny could stop his nightmares. Not Ron or Hermione, Ginny. Mrs. Weasley had started to brew a dreamless sleep potion and it takes two weeks to be ready so Ginny was now allowed to sleep with Harry until then.

Harry was screaming in the night once again. Ginny sat up and started talking to him. "Harry, shhh, it's ok. It's me. Please wake up, it's just a dream." She said to him. He stopped thrashing around and screaming and sat up. "Hi." She said quietly.

"Oh you're alive!" He said hugging her.

"Yeah Harry, I am. Why are you saying that?" She asked. He let go of her and looked down.

"They took you in my dream and killed you and everyone else. It was the worst so far I think." He whispered. He sounded of the verge of crying.

"Harry. Look at me." She said. He didn't look up so she took her  
hand and pushed up his head lightly. "We are all alive and safe. Nothing happened. Calm down I'm here for you." She comforted him.

"What time is it anyway?" Harry asked. Ginny checked the clock in the corner of the room.

"It is 5:58 might as well get up. We usually get up at eight anyways. We could just have some alone time." Ginny said climbing out of bed. Harry stared at her. She was wearing short shorts, and a Holyhead Harpies shirt which cut down low. "Hey Harry. I'm right here, not there." She said laughing. "Come on. I'll make you breakfast." She said taking his hand and guiding him downstairs. They would get dressed after breakfast.

"What do you want?" She asked opening up the fridge.

"Surprise me." He said. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I've missed you." Harry said.

"Harry, you've seen me for the last week or so. Why are you telling me this now?" She asked him as he let go and she cracked the eggs.

"I never really told you how much I missed you. You have no idea how much I missed you."

"You really think I have no idea? Harry, I too spent a year away from the person I loved and not knowing if you were ok. It was awful. There is no word to describe it Harry. I hated being away from you." She had started to cry in the middle of that.

"It's ok. Let's just let last year go. It'll be so much easier." Harry said hugging her and stroking her hair.

"We just can't let it go. I can't let it go Harry. I see it every day, I bet you do too. We just can't let last year go." She said.

"What do you mean 'you see it every day and I do too'?" Harry asked curiously.

"Ummmm. Let me show you." Ginny pulled up her shirt a little bit. To Harry's disliking, there was a scar going from the lower part of her breast spread down to the middle of her hip.

"Gin. What happened?" Harry asked.

"I saved Luna's life. There we go. I got hurt; Luna didn't, and yeah so let's just drop it ok?" Ginny said putting the bacon on the skillet.

"Yeah ok. So is Potter Watch still on? It was just a wandering thought I guess." Harry said.

"No, they stopped it. The whole team wasn't there so they stopped it." Ginny said quietly hiding a sob.

"Gin, it's all going to be okay. He's happy now. I know he's left us in spirit, but he will always be with us. In here." Harry said putting a hand over Ginny's heart.

"Yeah…. You're right Harry thank you." Ginny said hugging him.

"You're welcome. So do you want me to help?" Harry asked.

"No Harry the girls are supposed to make the breakfast." Ginny said pouring the eggs into the pan.

"I'm the girl in the relationship though." Harry said.

"So you're calling me a boy?" Ginny asked turning around hands folded across her chest.

"No. Well technically." Harry said getting the bacon out of the freezer.

"Well, I have to admit. I do have more guts than you." Ginny said taking the bacon from him and turning away.

"What?" Harry said.

"You are scared of my brothers for crying out loud!" Ginny said.

"Yeah, who wouldn't? Dean & Michael were too, I'll floo them!" Harry said.

"Fine. Now, use your wand to make this all go faster it is rather boring." Ginny said sitting on the counter.

"Ok your wish is my command." Harry said. He took out his wand and made everything fully cooked. They ate and went up to get dressed. Ginny walked into her room to find Hermione and Ron in her bed, sleeping. Hermione and Ron weren't allowed to sleep in the same bed, but wasn't up yet so neither were they. Ginny got dressed and walked downstairs to find a handsome raven haired man sitting on the sofa. He stared off into space like he was petrified.

She sat down next to him and took his hand. "Hey." She said. He didn't move a millionth of an inch. "Are you ok Harry?" she asked him. Still no answer. Over and over again Ginny would ask him to sat what's wrong or just a single word. Time passed as if time were stopped just to create more tension. "Harry James Potter! Tell me what is wrong with you." Ginny said yelling rather loudly at him. Hermione came running down the stair with Ron tailing her.

"Ginny! What the bloody hell are you yelling for?" Ron asked.

"Harry won't speak at all. He won't move, He won't talk, and he won't do anything! Please help me." She said desperately.

"Have you talked to him recently?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah this morning when we had breakfast. I go upstairs to change and he's here looking petrified!" Ginny messed with her hair, one of her bad habits that she would do.

"Let me check something." Hermione asked. She went up to Harry and said 'Finite' and he sprung to life.

"No No No! This can't be happening!" He said under his breath.

"Harry tell us what's happening." A scared Ginny said.

Harry then said, with a worried sound in his voice "Greyback."

The room became silent. Nobody spoke or made any sudden movement. You could hear a pin drop on the floor. You could hear the birds chirping outside and the creak of the hard wood floor. Hermione broke the silence.

"No, No. Greyback can't get through the boundaries." Hermione said pointed out something very obvious.

"I know that Hermione thank you." Harry said and Hermione looked a little hurt by his words "Sorry. But I saw him outside the boundary just now. Then some person petrificus totalused me and then you know the rest." He said running his hands through his hair, something he did when he was frustrated.

"You know we are going to catch him." Ron said.

"How the hell are we going to do that?" Harry asked kind of frustrated.

"We added another piece to the boundary. If you try to break through the boundary, you stick to it and your wand flies twenty feet away from them." Ron explained.

"Wait so Greyback is stuck to the boundary?" Harry asked.

"Yup." Ron said

"And his wand is nowhere near him?" Harry asked once again.

"Yeah his wand is twenty feet away from him." Ron said.

"I'll go get him." Harry said and got up. Ginny ran to him.

"No you are not. I'll floo an Auror they can take care of him." Ginny said.

"Fine. Go get the floo powder." Harry said and Ginny disappeared around the corner. Harry made a break for it, running out of the back door, breaking his word. He ran towards a tree that was thick enough to hide his body. Nobody yelled or called after him so he just walked out from behind the tree and walked towards the boundary. Two minutes later, that's where he saw him. Stuck to the boundary and his wand far far away from him.

"Potter." Greyback growled.

"Greyback. Hope you had fun with your little scheme but now it's over. The aurors are on it's way." Harry said.

"Now Potter. May I ask you who called them?" Greyback asked.

"Why do you need to know?" Harry asked.

"Think about it Potter." Greyback said in a deep growl. Harry thought and then asked;

"What is going on here Greyback?" Harry asked firmly.

"Your dear friends are with my little friends right now. You stupid little boy, we have fooled you, we still have access to the boundary blueprints, we know where your friends live, we know where we can get a fresh batch of polyjuice potion." Greyback said.

"Where are they?!" Harry yelled.

"That is for you to figure out Potter. Have good nightmares." Greyback growled, pulled out an extra wand, and cast the spell. It made Harry's world go completely black.


	5. Chapter 5: Indescribable

**Chapter 5**

The darkness surrounding him, silence heard. Nothing going through his head, not even Ginny. His heart, beating slowly. Thump…..Thump…..Thump. Still no sight of anything, or anyone. His legs, feeling as if he didn't have any. His arms, burning as if they were broken. His neck twisted in all different directions. The pain overtook him, he wanted to scream but nothing came out. Then, he heard a high pitched sound, his ears bleeding. His eyes fluttered open and he was in a white room all alone. He was strapped up in all different tubes and bandages.

"Oh Mr. Potter you're awake. Please take this," The blonde healer said, handing him a black potion "It'll help ease the pain." Harry took it in one gulp.

"What… happened to me?" Harry asked while trying not to focus on the horrible tasting potion.

"You were severely injured. Many, many spells were used on you Mr. Potter. Fortunately, the person who hurt you was captured and sentenced a lifetime in Azkaban." The nurse explained.

"What spells were used on me?" Harry asked. He was rather curious why he had all these cuts and the tubes sticking up his nose.

"The cutting spell was the most sever, then the torture curse, and then Sectumsempra was also used." The nurse said while getting him more fluid.

"Who got me?" Harry asked.

"We will answer your questions later Mr. Potter, you have to rest for now. I will be back in thirty minutes to check on you. In the meantime, you have a visitor." She said opening the door and a high pitched scream came from the doorway. A bush of red hair came rushing in and hugged him.

"HARRY! Dear are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked, holding the side of his head.

"Yes, I'm fine." Mrs. Weasley looked rather pale, she probably found out about the missing teenagers, or to Harry, missing friends. She looked at him and her eyes watered, then the tears spilled over.

"Do you know where they are?" Mrs. Weasley whispered in a heartbreaking tone. Harry's mind filled up with thoughts. It was like a stock exchange, things being yelled out interrupting others. 'Where are they?' 'Why Ginny?' 'Where the hell are my best friends?!' were some of the thoughts going through his head.

"No I don't, I'm so sorry Mrs. Weasley." Harry said back.

"Oh no Harry it's not your fault. It's those bloody Death Eater werewolves." Mrs. Weasley started cursing under her breath. "Harry, when was the last time you talked to them?" Mrs. Weasley said, her voice, trembling.

"I saw Ron and Hermione last night, and Ginny and I had breakfast this morning." Harry said.

"Ok dear, I'll let you rest now." said and then left, little sobs escaping her lips.

Harry spent three more long days in . After he was released, the first thing he did was go to Kingsley and have him notified. Kingsley has sent Aurors everywhere still no sign of them, the only thing they found was Ginny's shirt on the ground. The little white shirt, covered in blood. Who knows if it was her own, or someone else's, nobody knew. Harry didn't sleep for two days because of his nightmares. He had nightmares of Ginny lying on the ground blood coming out of her, every which way. And he was trapped in a box and he couldn't get out, all he could do was watch.

"Harry, Harry wake up." Someone said shaking him back to reality.

"What do you want Percy?" Harry said putting on his glasses. It wasn't Percy after all, it was Mr. Weasley.

"Oh sorry , I'm not that much of a morning person." Harry explained.

"Harry, I have known you for a long time. I think I might know that." Mr. Weasley said. "You were having nightmares and Molly sent me up here to check on you." Mr. Weasley said.

"Yeah so when will the dreamless sleep potion be ready?" Harry asked.

"It will be done in two days. You have one more night to fight through. You'll do fine son. Breakfast is ready, be down as soon as possible. We are searching today." He said patting Harry's leg and walking out of the room.

*************************************

The next month was a nightmare. No more signs of any of them. The only trace they found was a trap, which leaded to an abandoned house. Harry was lonely as ever. He still had Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Percy, and Luna but it just wasn't the same without them. The nightmares had still come, even with the dreamless sleep potion. Only terrible nightmares could break through a potion of that strength.

"Harry! Wake Up!" Someone yelled, shaking him.

"What?" Harry asked putting on his glasses. Then, he saw who it was, it was Ron. Harry immediately grabbed his wand. "What day did we meet and what year did you get attacked by a brain?" Harry asked. It was the first question that came to mind. It looked like the real Ron though he was filthy, and twigs were in his ginger hair.

"September first in our first year and our fifth year." Ron said with his arms up, surrendering.

"Where have you been?!" Harry said, practically screaming.

"I've been with these death eaters and I know where they are,  
it's just I can't go back." Ron said.

"And why can't you do that Ron?" Percy said standing in the doorwary, coffee in hand.

"There's some sort of shield around them, once you leave you can't get back out. I can't go back without using some sort of spell." Ron said. walked in and then said;

"I happen to know the Minister of Magic, he could undo any boundary that they have set and he can track them." Mr. Weasley explained.

"Ok then, let's go see Kingsley." Ron said. "Harry you might want to put on some real clothes." Ron said, gesturing towards Harry's sweat pants and t-shirt.

"Yeah, okay, I will meet you guys by the pitch in five minutes." Harry said grabbing jeans and a plain white shirt. They all left and Harry dressed himself, thoughts going through his mind. Every thought, every memory, every little thing that involved Ginny, he thought of. Walking down the stairs, he saw pictures of her. Laughing, crying, and getting noogies by Fred and George.

"Come on! Let's go!" Ron yelled through the back door, so Harry went out and saw them standing with Kingsley.

"How'd you get here so fast Minister?" Harry asked trying to be polite.

"Please Harry call me Kingsley and I got a floo call from Arthur to say come here immediately and here I am." He explained. "Ron would you explain to me what happened?" Kingsley asked, but it wasn't really a question.

"Yes sir, while Harry was downstairs Hermione, Ginny, And I were captured by death eaters but to be specific, werewolves. Three of the four took some of our hair and had some polyjuice potion so they pretended to be us. The other one took us to Scotland and which is where they are now. They duplicated Ginny's shirt and put some blood on it so set some sort of distraction," Everyone was listening intently to Ron's explanation. "So they took me there and they kept a close eye on Ginny, knowing that she was Harry's girlfriend but not on me or Hermione. She is getting help for Ginny right now I predict."

"Wait so Ginny knows this?" Kingsley asked curiously.

"No we knew that she would object, she said the only person that could save her was Harry or herself." Ron said this while looking at Harry.

"Ron, take me there." Harry said holding out his arm.

"The spell is Serlous Boretom good luck." Kingsley said, apparating away as did Harry and Ron.

They showed up to this old, run-down shack. "Ron is this it?" Harry asked.

"Yeah but it's a couple miles away, we have to walk a while." Ron said and started to walk off towards the west. Harry followed him and step after step, Harry started to have second thoughts.

"What if we are too late?" Harry asked Ron.

"Harry, calm down. We have a while to go and she is completely fine. They passed the moon cycle during the war." Ron explained.

"Oh that makes me feel so much better." Harry said sarcastically. After that being said, nobody spoke for two hours, a record for Ron. They reached the clearing, it was all set up as a tent, and at least they had already cast the spell to make the boundaries disappear. That's when he saw here, sitting next to one of the werewolves. She had cuts on her arm, and her eye was bruised. She looked around and saw a raven-haired man peeking out from behind a tree. She smiled but knowing that if she smiled too much she would get caught, she set back her depressed look.

"Hey baby." One of Greyback's friends said, running his hand up and down Ginny's back.

"Don't touch me." Ginny said, angrily. Jealousy washed over Harry as well as anger. The werewolf, Jeff, put up his arms in surrender

"We have one feisty girl here. One feisty, hot girl. How about you go change into the dress I've put into your tent and come back out here." He said. Ginny stood up and Jeff spanked her. Ginny looked around and gave her a glare.

"We have to do something." Ron whispered.

"No really?" Harry whispered back,

"Yeah." Ron said. Harry rolled his eyes and got ready. He would wait until Ginny was somewhat dressed. They waited until they saw Ginny wearing the tightest, shortest, and most revealing dress either of them had ever seen. She was beautiful but it was beautiful torture.

"Wow." Harry said. "Let's go."

"Ok." Ron replied.

"This stops right here boys!" Harry yelled walking into the campsite. Only one werewolf was out and the rest were sleeping.

"Oh it does not stop here." Jeff growled.

"Oh yes it does!" Mr. Weasley yelled from above. Thirty feet above the canopy, were a least forty aurors plus the Weasley kids. Ginny smiled but then realized what she was wearing. She walked over to the log around the campfire and grabbed her jacket. She instantaneously threw it over her back and zipped it up. The whooshing of the brooms could be heard a mile away. No other werewolves had woken up so it made it an easy capture. The rest of the werewolves got stunned before they could even fight back. The one that was awake was captured and was sent to Azkaban.

After all the chaos was done, the aurors were gone, taking the werewolves to Azkaban. It was just the Weasley family, Harry, and Hermione. Ginny ran up to Harry and jumped onto him, wrapping her legs around him. Hermione and Ron stood there holding hands, grinning.

"You came!" She exclaimed. "You came, you came, you came!" Ginny said. She kissed him full on the mouth. The rest of the Weasley family seemed to turn away, including Hermione.

"I missed you so much." He whispered. He put her down. "Now shall we all get back to the Burrow and be safe and sound." Harry said.

"Not so fast Potter." Dart, another werewolf said. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" They yelled, his wand pointed straight at Ginny. 

"NO!" Harry screamed and he saw Ginny's lifeless body lying on the forest floor.

*********************************************************************

"Harry, Harry! Wake up shhhh it's ok Harry you're with me." The soothing voice woke him up.

"Your alive!" He said hugging Ginny. "I'm having a Déjà vu…" Harry said.

"Yeah you did that last night too. What is with you?" She asked.

"What was the last thing I did?" Harry asked. He looked around and realized he was in the lounge.

"You and I had breakfast, and then I went upstairs to get changed. I walk down here and you are thrashing around on the couch, having a nightmare. You seem to have fallen asleep." Ginny explained.

"And woken up the rest of the house." Ron said walking down stairs, zombie-like. Harry checked his body, no cuts or bruises. Except for the ones from the Battle at Hogwarts.

"Wow that is so weird." Harry said, examining his body.

"What?" Hermione asked. Everyone but Ginny was still in their pajamas.

"I just had the weirdest dream." 


	6. Chapter 6: Goodbyes

Chapter 6

"Would you like some chicken Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked while the clanking of knives and forks were creating background music.

"No thank you Mrs. Weasley. I'm full." Harry said. had kept force feeding him food for the three weeks after that bloody dream. Harry was recovering from it but he was still back to normal, mostly at least.

"Are you sure dear? There's plenty more." She said.

"Yes I'm sure thank you anyway." He said. Mrs. Weasley then had a defeated look on her face. Dinner was then sort of silent. All that could be heard was Ron and Hermione mumbling in the corner. Ginny sat next to Harry, her hand wrapped in his. After dinner, Ginny and Harry made their way up to their room, Ron's room. Ron apparated every night to sleep with Hermione, even thought it was against the rules.

"Come out." Ginny said. Harry was in the bathroom and had just finished taking a shower. He had taken longer than Ginny which was unusual.

"Busy." He said back. He was shaving the muggle way, he just hated the spell. It cut him multiple times, or he cut himself.

"Come on," She said. "I'm tired." She said, getting under the covers. She was wearing shorts and a tank top. In the beginning, she used to wear winter coats and pants but now she's more comfortable. Or Mrs. Weasley was more comfortable.

"Fine," He said walking out. "I'm out." He said, slipping into the bed. She snuggled right next to him. "Have you ever thought of us in the future?" he asked, tracing his finger along her arm. She looked up at him.

"Yeah." She said. She was exploring her thoughts. She had thought about that a lot since the battle. Since there was nobody wanted to kill Harry, she knew he would be alright.

"How do you see us?" He asked. "Married, kids, what?" He asked.

"I've seen us in many instances." She said. "I've seen us getting married and imagined our wedding. Then," She continued. "I've imagined our honeymoon and the newlywed stage, and I've imagined our first child and the rest to come." She continued.

"Wait, so how would you like your wedding?" He asked. He was rather curiously.

"I'd like it to be simple. I don't like big shiny things. I'd rather have simple and beautiful. And for the wedding, it'd be small. Only close friends and family." She explained.

"And the honeymoon?" He asked, smirking.

"I think you know what happens there Potter." She said, smiling. "And to answer your next question the newlywed stage would be getting a house where little Potters could run around and where we could make love without any family interrupting." She explained, smiling.

"I love the sound of that." Harry said, kissing her. She snuggled closer.

"Well, then for our first kid, I've always imagined it a boy and then another child. I've never really thought of what sex they would be but I've always wanted more than one child." She explained. "I also think the last child we have is going to be a girl, since I'm the last of my family." She explained.

"Wow you really have this though out." Harry said. "How many kids do you want?" He asked curiously.

"Three." She said, pausing. "Or more." She said, smiling seductively. He smiled at the last statement.

"Yeah, I've seen that too. But I get to buy their first broom." He said, calling dibs.

"Fine for the boys, but for the girl no way." Ginny said.

"Your wish is my command." Harry said, kissing her head. "Let's get to sleep. I think I'm going to have good dreams tonight." He said. They drifted off to sleep, a dreamless sleep.

***************************************************************************

Another month was passed with no nightmares. The night he and Ginny had the talk about their future scared off the nightmares. Harry, Ron, & Hermione were deciding if they wanted to go back to Hogwarts for seventh year.

"You have to go back!" Hermione said. "It's crucial!" Hermione said. She was trying to get Ron to go to Hogwarts. "Ron, that's six months I have to live without you. Do have any idea how hard that's going to be?" Hermione asked.

"It's six months I have to live without you too." Ron said, taking Hermione hand. "We always have owls." He said.

"True but it's not the same." She said trailing off.

"Whatcha guys talking about?" Ginny said, walking in.

"Whether or not we're going back to Hogwarts." Hermione said. "Which both of the boys have said no." Hermione said, glaring.

"What!" Ginny practically yelled. "You have to come!" Ginny said. "It's two months away could you just think about it?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, I will I promise." He said.

"Your birthday in three days right?" She asked. He nodded. She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Now what shall I give you for your birthday?" She whispered. They both grinned and Ron and Hermione looked puzzled.

"Ginny, I don't even want to know what you just told him." Ron said, looking disgusted. Ginny giggled and Harry smirked. Hermione was also smiling, because she knew what Ginny had asked him.

"So Ron you going back?" Ginny asked. Harry slipped his arm around her waist and she scooted closer.

"No I'm going to do Auror training." Ron explained.

"I hadn't even thought of that." Harry said. Ginny sighed and tilted her head back.

"Why did you have to remind him?" She asked Ron. Harry had always wanted to get a jumpstart on his career so that when he wanted to, he could stay with his family.

"Gin, I have to." Harry said. "I need to get the training done and over with so that way when you come back, I'll have a job and you will have yours." He said.

"I won't have a job." Ginny said. Harry held up a letter and Ginny's eyes grew wide.

"This came a couple minutes ago. It's from the Holyhead…." Harry couldn't even finish the sentence before she snatched the envelope and ripped it open. She read quickly and her eyes grew wide.

"Merlin's beard." She muttered.

"I know. I'm the one who told someone to come and watch you." Harry said. She looked at him.

"When'd you do that?" Ginny asked, she was almost crying. It was a rare occasion to see her cry, but they were tears of joy.

"My sixth year. I knew that I wouldn't be coming back seventh year so I called them and had them watch you. They think you're the best they've seen in years." Harry explained, and she automatically threw her arms around him.

"Thank you," She said, quietly just so he could hear

"You're welcome." He whispered back and kissed her forehead. Ron and Hermione sat there looking at them until Ginny shot Ron a look. Ron looked away and moved closer to Hermione as a safety precaution.

"So I this is the beginning for us mate." Ron said.

"Yeah, the beginning." Harry said. Both Ron & Harry stood up. "Good luck." Harry said and pulled Ron into a manly hug.

"Good luck to you too mate." Ron said. Ginny and Hermione were looking at each other, smiling. "I'm up to bed. You coming 'mione?" He asked. Hermione got up and walked up next to him.

"Yeah let's go." They walked upstairs, but not before Ron looked back at Harry and Ginny.

"Always too overprotective…" Ginny leaning against Harry, who had just sat down. "I told you about what I thought. You tell me. You know about our future." Ginny said, looking at him.

"I don't know." He said, adjusting his position. "All I know is that I want to be with you." He said kissing her forehead. They laid there talking for another hour until Ginny had fallen asleep. Harry picked her up and carried her to their bed. He couldn't wait until they had a bed and house of their own.

***********************************************************

"I'm going to miss you." Ginny said, crying into his shoulder. It was September 1st, the day that everybody had been dreading.

"It's all going to be okay." He said, stroking her hair. "We'll write and you'll see me at Christmas." He said. The final bell rang to warm them that the train was leaving in two minutes. "This is for you." Harry said handing her a box. "Don't open it until you're in the common room. I love you." He said, kissing her and she was off. Once she reached her compartment, she looked out the window to see a teary eyed Harry sitting on a bench. He saw her and smiled. She blew him a kiss and he caught it. She smiled and the train started to move. Harry mouthed the words 'love you' and she was out of sight.

*********************************************************************

September 27th

 _Harry,_

 _It's been fun here but Hermione is driving me crazy. She already has a schedule for studying. I swear I was going to kill her after she said we were studying on weekends. I know she's like a sister to me but she is sooooooooooo annoying! I wish you could be here to kill her for me J_ _I opened the present and it is beautiful. I haven't taken it off since. I'm sorry I didn't write faster but I've been so busy. I tried out for the team and I'm now the lead chaser! I'm so excited; now don't be sending out more people to watch me. Now I feel like someone is watching me at every corner._

 _I see why you made me open the necklace in the common room. That's where we had our first kiss 3 I never knew you were so romantic. Like I said it's beautiful. I love how to have the snitch and the quaffle next to each other it's so cute. Not to mention our birthstones on them. I have to stop writing I have an essay due tomorrow. See you in December. I love you, always will._

 _Forever,_

 _Gin_

Harry smiled at this letter and had reread it over and over again. Harry had started Auror training and was always exhausted. Too much studying, and why did they have to know a spell that would _help_ the enemy beat you. It was insane. Harry took out a piece of parchment and a quill.

"You gotta love these self-inking quills." Harry muttered to himself and started writing.

 _Gin,_

 _It sounds like your having so much fun up there. Well, some sort of fun I guess. I'm here studying too so you're not alone. I've never had to study so much in my entire life, it's so aggravating. Ron is actually studying believe it or not. Everything has changed since you've been gone, not in a bad way, just not in a good way either. I've been looking over the past couple years and I've noticed how much it has all changed. First year, I met Ron and Hermione and killed Quirrell. Then second year I saved you and killed a freaking basilisk. Third year I had the life sucked out of me by dementors and I found Sirius._

 _Fourth year, I was in the tournament and Cedric died. I still feel bad for Cho sometimes. Fifth year, Sirius died and Snape nearly killed me with those practices. Sixth year, I met you and found Snape's book and Dumbledore died. Seventh year I don't wanna talk about. And now we are here. With our future lay out in front of us. All we have to do is choose which way to go. It's going to be hard but we will get through it. I just read through this letter and thought how I got from talking about what it's like to my life story. I have to study now. See you in December J_

 _Love,_

 _Harry_

Harry rolled up the parchment and sealed it. He called Pigwideon and sent of the letter. He opened the book thinking of forever. 


	7. Chapter 7: Love and its Lonely Companion

Chapter 7

Just one week had passed before Harry had his first official test. The people that get a D or lower get kicked out of training and the rest move on. Harry had been studying all day for a week and he hoped he was going to make it. Ron was sitting on the bench, sweating.

"Hey, mate, it's all gonna be okay," Harry said, "It's just a stupid test, you studied harder than anytime you have in your life, trust me." Harry said.

"Ronald Weasley." Dawlish called out.

"Wish me luck." He said, getting up and walking into the room. Harry sat there next to David, one of the older trainees. Harry sat there for ten minutes, thirty minutes, before he knew it, an hour had passed. Dawlish walked out at about the hour and a half mark.

"Harry Potter." Dawlish called out. Harry stood up and walked into a little room, about the size of a cubicle. "Today, you will be taking a written test about everything you have learned. Not just in the past month but your entire life. You can take as long as two hours, you may begin." A test and a self inking quill appeared in front of him.

"Here we go…" Harry whispered and flipped open the test booklet.

 _October 12th_

 _Gin,_

 _Ron & I both passed the test. Ron was mental until we got the results, rather annoying actually. I've been looking for flat listings and your mum doesn't seem to like that. Ron's doing the same thing and she is going insane. I've never seen her this paranoid before, it sort of scary. Auror training's been great. I just sent a letter to Hermione telling her to lay off the studying, since you told me that she's been bothersome. Thought I would give you some time without potions and charms. I miss you more than anything right now. I know it sounds sappy I just couldn't find another way to say it. I have to make this one short because it's late and I am exhausted. Love you._

 _Harry_

Ginny sat in the common room reading the letter. Hermione sitting in the arm chair, looking over the charms homework for the twentieth time.

"Hermione. It's fine, why don't you go to bed?" Ginny said, somewhat sternly. Hermione got up and started packing up her book bag. "You never got a letter from Harry did you?" the red head asked.

"He told you huh?" She asked, laughing. "He told me to lay off the studying, as you probably know." Hermione said, slipping her bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah," Ginny said, holding up the letter. "Ron written to you?"

"We said we wouldn't write each other," She said. "We thought it would be easier." She said, quietly.

"Oh." Ginny said. She was thinking how it would be easier. When reading Harry's letters, she would feel as if he was sitting next to her, reading them to her.

"We thought wrong, but it's better now." She said, walking towards the stairs.

"Hey," Ginny said, making Hermione turn around. "He loves you. Don't you forget it." Ginny could tell she was smiling while she walked up the stairs. Ginny walked over to the seat near the window and sat down. She drew her knees up to her chest and looked up at the sparkling sky. A tear rolled down her cheek like a raindrop on the side of a window. She sat there looking at the sky for the rest of the night until she fell into a deep sleep.

"Harry, wake up mate." Ron said, shaking Harry. "Mate, we have to get up." Ron said waking him up.

"I'm up." Harry said, surrendering. "Why are we getting up exactly?" He asked. Ron stood up and walked over to the dresser.

"Our essays are due today, and we haven't even started ours." Ron said throwing Harry a piece of parchment. He walked over with a quill and gave it to him. "What are you writing about?" Ron asked, dipping his quill in some ink.

"The subject the teacher assigned us." Harry said.

"And what exactly was that?" Ron asked. Harry just laughed under his breath and put his quill to the parchment.

 _  
October 21st_

 _Harry,_

 _I'm sorry that it took me so long to write back. I've been busy with all this work that everyone is assigning. I am so frustrated right now. I've gone to the hospital wing for a headache potion almost every day of the week. Hopefully you're doing better than I am heck anyone is doing better than I am. Hermione has dialed down the studying but that's when the teachers decide to load us up on homework. We've won every game since the beginning to term which is a plus to being here. We have two more months…. I can't believe it's only been a month and twenty days. It feels like a lifetime away._

 _Of course everything feels like a lifetime away here now. Not that many people returned here this year. Almost half of my year did and the rest were smaller than half. There were barely any first years to be sorted. It seemed as if the sorting ceremony never existed actually. I saw cute little faces running around but I never saw that those faces I saw were fake. I remember walking down into the common room one night to find one little girl crying. Her name was Savannah and she was a first year. She was shy at first but in a matter of minutes, she was pouring her heart out to me._

 _She told me she was terrified about the situation. I told her that no bad guys were left but she said she knew that. I didn't know what the problem was until she told me. She said that she had nightmares, just like you. She had nightmares that you died and didn't save the world and we all were doomed. I looked at her and saw a little me. She had brownish-reddish hair and brown eyes. She told me she has no friends because all of the other girls thought she was weird. Now, I sit with her at breakfast and dinner. Hermione grew fond of Savannah the second she met her. Savannah apparently is a bookworm, just like lil' ol' Hermy._

 _Please write back, I need to talk to you and do something other than study. Love you._

 _Forever,_

 _Ginny_

Harry was stunned at three things. One: How Ginny's letter was so long Two: How Hermione had actually backed off of studying and Three: Savannah. He had never imagined that anyone else would have his nightmares but then he saw how he had been. He had been worried so much about his nightmares he hadn't taken the time to look at the little girls and boys who have them too. And not just little kids. Older people who had lost their relatives and friends. People who lost the love of their life, or died with them. Reality had finally hit him and his heart felt as if a big piece of it was taken away. That's when Harry realized he needed to host a proper funeral for all that had died or suffered.

He took out a piece of parchment and began to write to ask permission from Kingsley.

On the day of November 2nd, the sixth month anniversary of the final battle, a massive funeral was held. It was in the stadium where the Quidditch world cup was held in Harry's fourth year. Nearly 300,000 people were attending from all around the world, and three million over radio. Harry stood in the entrance to the field and he could see a wave of black cloaks. Mothers crying, Children having no idea what's going on. The whole Weasley family was there with the exception on Ginny. She said that it would just kill her to see the people.

Hermione came, because she felt she needed to be there. The "Golden Trio" needed to make an appearance according to Kingsley. When it was time for Harry to walk out, the crowd started to cheer. A sad cheer, but a happy one as well. Harry walked out into the middle of the field and cast the sorunorus spell.

"Good evening to all of you. We are here to honor the lives of all that fought for our freedom and safety. Voldemort was the darkest wizard of our time, or maybe the darkest wizard of all time." He said. He talked for the next hour, listening names of the people and how much they meant to him. "As a tribute to the ones who have passed, we have the Weird Sisters here to sing a song for us." The weird sisters came out and played a slow, somber song. Harry picked up his wand and murmured a spell. The names and faces of all that died spread across the field.

was sitting in the front row with red eyes and a wet handkerchief. When Fred's name and face spread across the pitch, the Weasley family started clapping louder than anyone else. Lupin and Tonks were up next, and others that made Harry's heart ache. Granted every single one made his heart ache, but the ones he was close to just shot him right in the heart.

The funeral ended three hours later, including guest speakers and other people speaking to the audience. Harry could see little children in the audience, sleeping against their parent's shoulder. Harry spent an hour getting thanked for his heroic actions. They arrived at the burrow around 1 A.M and everybody was basically already asleep.

 _  
_While Harry was fast asleep, Ginny was studying for one of the many big tests the following week. The teachers had assigned so much homework; she didn't have time to practice Quidditch. She was cramming so much in so little time; she barely got enough sleep to stay awake throughout the day. Books were spread out across the table, as were the variety of notes she took during class. She prayed that Hermione would be back tonight, but nobody seemed to answer her prayer. Hermione had stayed at the burrow, leaving Ginny alone with a massive headache. Her hand hurting her from writing so many sentences and little side notes. That's when Harry's letter reached the window. Normally owls don't come to the common room window, but apparently this one did. She opened it and began to read

 _November 2nd_

 __

 _Gin,_

 _Today was a very sad day. I understand why you didn't want to go now, it was rather depressing. Hermione is sleeping soundly, she was dead tired. Heck, I'm dead tired but you're probably still up studying or doing homework. Hermione finished hers the first day she got here. While she was doing that, I went to our special place for the first time. You know what I'm talking about. I sat there and I felt like you were sitting by me the entire time. That's when I saw a little mound of dirt over in the corner. It looked like it hadn't been touched in years. I went over and dug it up to find a box._

 _A box full of everything about your childhood. I'm sorry if it was too personal but I was just too curious. I found a galleon labeled 'my first galleon' and the valentine you gave my in my second year. It still sang to me when I opened it. 'You're eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad' that's my favorite line! You're probably going to beat me up the first time you see me but hey, it's so worth it. Well, I am literally falling asleep over this letter. I wish I could write more but I also wish to write it inside my head. Good night, Love you._

 _Harry_

She smiled, and set down the letter. Her mind kept telling her to study, but her heart told her to write back. She picked up a piece of parchment and began to write.

 _November 2nd, Well Technically November 3rd_

 _Harry,_

 _I have to make this short and sweet. You were so right about the studying and homework! I've been so tired for I don't know like forever. Homework has doubled since the beginning of the year, so I've been packed. I can't even practice Quidditch! It's brutal. Oh my gosh! I forgot I put that box there. I've been thinking about that box lately and yes it's fine you looked through it. I'm not going to kill you, but I might kill you for staying home this year. I want you to suffer with me. I know that sounds mean but I do! Well, potions await me so write me back! I love you._

 _Ginny_


	8. Chapter 8: The Heart Grows Fonder

**Chapter 8**

On the morning of December 20th, Harry awoke to the scratching and clanging of the metal cage that enclosed Pidwidgeon. He took a glance at the clock and it read that it was 9:56. The Hogwarts express was set to arrive at eleven, so he had to wake Ron. He walked over to find the red-head tangled up in his sheets, one arm flung over the side of the bed, the other, Harry couldn't tell. He shook Ron trying to wake him from his deep slumber but nothing seemed to wake him. He tried saying that spiders were going to take over the earth, but that still didn't work. All he got was a slight turn of the head, and little movement of the mouth; that was about it.

Harry soon gave up, got dressed, and walked downstairs. Mrs. Weasley was in the lounge knitting her yearly Christmas presents, the radio playing soothing music. Harry walked in and said, "Good Morning Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh Harry dear, we have gone over this many times, you may call me Molly." She said. "And why are you up so late? You are usually up by seven thirty." She asked. Harry sat in the armrest in the corner.

"Ron and I had a long day yesterday. We had the mid-terms for both school and training, so it took us until around one to finish it all." Harry explained. He could the heavy footsteps of the zombie-looking Ron, waddling down the stairs.

"Morning Mum. Where's breakfast?" Ron asked, sleepily.

"In the pantry." She replied. Ron snapped out of his mood and shook his head. hadn't made breakfast? Harry couldn't remember a day where Mrs. Weasley hadn't made breakfast.

"What? I'm sorry, I don't understand." Ron said.

"Ronald, you have been considering finding a new home so you have to learn to cook for yourself." She replied back, never taking her focus away from her knitting.

"I won't have to cook though. Hermione would do that." Ron whined back.

"But Ronald, Hermione is at school right now dear. She won't be there to cook for you. And when she is living with you, there may be times you should cook for her." Mrs. Weasley said back. From Harry's point of view, it looked like Mrs. Weasley was going to win the argument.

"Like…." Ron trailed on.

"Like her birthday, when she has fallen ill, and to make her happy." She said. "Sometimes us girls like when men make us meals. Even if they burn everything, it's the thought that matters." Harry hadn't said anything in this conversation. He was just watching it like an intriguing tennis match.

"I knew that." Ron said, awkwardly moving his head. Harry laughed quietly at this and Ron never seemed to notice Harry was even there.

"Come on Ron." Harry said, getting out of his seat. "I'll help you make breakfast." He said, walked towards him. The both walked into the kitchen, and Ron opened the pantry. He stood there, his face scrunched up as if he had no idea what to do. "What do you want for breakfast?" Harry asked, reaching around Ron and grabbing the bread.

"Uhhh yeah. Toast is fine." Ron said.

"How many pieces?" Harry asked, twisting open the bread. Ron thought a minute and replied.

"Two." He said, getting out the orange juice and two glasses. Harry took out four pieces of bread, two for Ron and two for himself, and toasted them with his wand. He suddenly wished he could've done that when he had to serve breakfast when he lived at the Dursley's. They both sat down with their food, and began to eat.

"So Harry," Ron said, swallowing his toast. "I need to talk to you about my sister." He said seriously.

"What is there to talk about?" Harry asked. "I love your sister. And there is nothing more to it." Harry said.

"You really love her don't you?" Ron said, taking a sip of his orange juice. Harry finished up eating his last bite and said;

"Yeah, I really do." He said. "So I need to talk to you about _my_ sister." Harry said, trying to mock Ron.

"What sister? You don't have a…. oh." He said, finally catching on the Hermione was like Harry's sister. "I love her." Ron said. "You know I do, you knew before I knew!" He said. "Well, I always knew, but I didn't…. does this make any sense?" He asked.

"Weirdly…yes it does." Harry said. "So you two wrote each other?" He asked, taking a sip of his juice.

"No, we didn't actually." He said. "We thought that the moment we saw each other would be greater. I guess we'll find out today then." Ron said.

"Yeah, I guess." Harry said and proceeded to finish his breakfast. Harry walked over to put his dish in the sink when Mrs. Weasley walked in.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to stay home. I don't feel very well." Mrs. Weasley said, talking to both Ron and Harry. "You two can go get your girls and bring them back can't you?"

"Yeah mum. We'll bring them back in one piece." Ron said. opened the medicine cabinet and took out the headache potion.

"You two should get going. The train is scheduled to arrive soon." She said. Ron finished his food and put the dishes into the sink.

"Let's go." Harry said, holding out his arm. Ron took it and they were squeezed into the horrible feeling of apparition. They arrived in the deserted room where Sirius presented Harry with the picture of the original Order of the Phoenix. They walked out to find a very busy platform. Mothers and fathers bustling through the passage to see their child. Ron and Harry ran through the gateway to find the steaming train coming towards the station at a rapid rate. Harry's heart began to beat faster and his patience grew thin. He hadn't kissed her in four months, let alone seen her.

As the train grew closer and closer, both men rocked back and forth, eager to see their girlfriends. When the train came to a full stop at the station, Harry stood there, waiting for her. Ron licked his lips and stood there. The first to come out was Hermione, running full on towards Ron. He picked her up, swung her around, and then kissed her.

"I missed you." Ron whispered against her lips. She responded by kissing him again. That's when Harry saw her, she stepped off the train and came running towards him. She jumped at him and wrapped her legs around his waist. He stumbled back a little but stood firm.

"Hi." She said, kissing him quickly on the lips. He laughed and kissed her again. This time longer and with more feeling. He had missed her so much, too much to describe in words. They broke apart and Harry let her down.

"That was a cheerful greeting." Harry said, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I missed you." She said, looking up into his emerald green death traps. Ron and Hermione came up next to them, Hermione next to Ginny.

"Hey Hermione. How was school?" Harry asked.

"Stressing, But still fun." Hermione said.

"How was it fun?" Ginny asked, her voice high. "All we did was study and do homework." Ginny said. They all walked into the wall and they were off the platform. Their trunks got sent to their houses.

"Yeah but still." Hermione said. They all made their way to the little white room and apparated back to the Burrow. Ron and Hermione landed right on the doorstep, but Harry and Ginny landed in their place. Harry had told Ron that he was going to take Ginny somewhere, but he didn't tell him where. When their feet touched the ground, they both feel backwards. They laughed it off and laid there, talking about the four months they hadn't seen each other.

******

Ron and Hermione were lying in their bed talking two days later, when Ron brought up something that snagged Hermione's attention. "Hermione, I need your help. I've been looking for a flat, and I found one. It's just I need someone to keep me company." He said. Hermione thought about it and then said;

"Cheesy line, but okay." A smile broke out across his face, as did Hermione's. "So is Harry looking for one too?" She asked.

"Yeah, we kinda wanted to get away from mum for a while. We would still come back for some days and dinner but we wanted our own place. There are too many distractions here." Ron said.

"So when you get the radio and the pinball machine and the bar, that won't be much of a distraction?" Hermione asked.

"Who do you think I am?" Ron asked. "Well, the radio you got right but the rest, I'd have to think about." Ron said. Hermione hit him in the arm, playfully but still hard.

"What was that for? I was only telling the truth!" Ron said. Hermione laughed and cuddled up against his chest.

********

"So, Hermione told me that Ron found their flat." Ginny said while her and Harry were swimming in the pond. She swam over to him and stood up.

"Yeah, I found ours." He said, pulling her closer. She looked up at him.

"Ours?" She asked, looking up into his gorgeous eyes.

"Ours. You and me in our own flat. Are you okay with that?" He asked. She looked at him, and stared into his eyes. She thought about it for a minute, then responded.

"Yeah I'd like that." She said, kissing him. "But, when do we move in?" She asked, turning to his side and taking his hand. They started to walk out of the water, and the wave held them back.

"Whenever you want. I already have the keys." He said, getting out and helping her out. "You just need to pick out the furniture, guys don't do that."

"And what makes you think I can? Have you seen my room?" She asked, drying her hair with her towel. She wrapped her towel around herself and looked at Harry.

"Yeah, I like it." He said, looking away. "It's just too….pink." He said, shivering at the word 'pink'. Ginny's room was, in fact, very pink. Mrs. Weasley had designed it and Ginny had to be okay with it. Ginny was Mrs. Weasley's only girl, so Mr. Weasley told Ginny she would have to live with it to make Mrs. Weasley happy.

"Of course it's pink you idiot! I'm a girl." She replied. She wasn't mad or anything, she was just saying it.

"Yeah, but you're not like any other girl." He said, staring into her eyes this time. "You're smart, beautiful, caring, loving, and did I mention your skills to throw a punch?" He said. She smiled smugly at that and then replied.

"Yeah, I guess I am. But have I ever told you what type of man you are?" She said, kissing his cheek. He didn't say anything so she went on. "You're an intelligent, loyal, trusting, loving, gorgeous man and I am very lucky to have you as my boyfriend." She said, kissing him quickly.

"And I am the luckiest man in the world to have you as my girlfriend." He said, kissing her forehead. "I think we should head back, I need your help on something." He said, holding out his hand. She took it and he grabbed the broom. They rode off together, not knowing what was up ahead, but they moved forward, fearless.


	9. Chapter 9: Just a Bunch of Rubbish

**Chapter 9**

"Harry!" Ginny yelled out of the bathroom. Harry stuck his head around the corner, his eyes loving.

"Yes?" He answered.

"Have you seen my wand? I can't find it anywhere!" Harry looked at her back pocket to see her wand, sticking out of the denim pocket.

"Nope, haven't seen it." He said, smirking. He walked downstairs to find Ron and Hermione, fighting over a book.

"Ronald! You are not listening to me!" Hermione roared. Ron jumped to his feet, looking down at Hermione.

"And the reason was because there was nothing to listen to Hermione! It's a book! You were going on and on about something that I don't really care about! Hermione, you know who you're dating and yet you still talk about the stuff that I don't like!"

"Dating is about sacrifice for the one you love, not for doing what you want all the time!" She said, standing up herself. "You see Harry and Ginny, right? They both have to give up something!"

"What? What did they have to give up?" Ron asked.

"Privacy. You see Ron, we are not well known as they are. She gave up her privacy Ron, her privacy." Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew that the press said things but he didn't know how much privacy really meant. "And that shows how much she loves him. If you can't do that…." She said.

"No, No I can do that. Hermione, I love you and I always will, just my range of emotion is about as big as a…" He began to say but Hermione filled him in.

"Teaspoon." She said, laughing softly. "Yeah, I know." She said, giving a soft smile. Ron took her face in his hand, and leaned down and gently kissed her. Harry smiled and walked back upstairs to find Ginny, leaning against the door, wand in hand.

"And you couldn't tell me this was in my pocket because…" She asked.

"I had no idea it was there." Harry said, playfully. Ginny just laughed and then walked back into her room. Harry followed her and shut the door. "Did you hear what happened downstairs?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, Ron and Hermione and the fight thing…" she said, waving her hands in expression. "I've gotten used to it." She said.

"Yeah I have too. It's just I've never really seen them. It's pretty brutal." He said. Ginny sat down criss-crossed on her bed, and Harry lay next to her, his legs like Ginny's. They stayed quiet for about a minute, until Ginny spoke up.

"Have you ever wondered if everything is going to be okay?" She asked.

"No, because I know it will be. A wise man once said that everything turns out fine in the end, if it's not fine, it's not the end." Harry replied back. She thought about it for a moment and then closed her eyes. "What's wrong?" Harry asked, worried.

"Nothing. It's just I go back to school in a week, and I don't know if I can do it." She said, thinking.

"We already did it. All we have to do is do it again." Harry explained. She started to tear up and Harry took her under his arm. He rubbed her arm with his thumb and soothed her. "Why are you just thinking about this?"

"Because, I got caught last night in memories and I'm just now realizing that life is flying by like the wind does through the trees and…. I guess I'm just scared." She said.

"Trust me, I am too. Just we have to live our life, even if it's something that we don't want to happen." He said.

"But we could change that right?" Ginny asked. "I mean let's just say that I got offered the best job ever, but then I had to choose between being a mother…what would that be leading me to?" She asked.

"Well, that's a while ahead." He said, kissing her head. He jumped off the bed, causing the sheets to push up in different places. "And I need to go." Ginny reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Wait, you're leaving?" She asked.

"Have to." He said, walking over and kissing her cheek. "I'll be back by dinner. But tell your bloody brother to save me some food." He said, walking out and closing the door. Ginny bit her lip, and smiled in the cute way Harry liked. Ginny got up and walked to her wall, looking at the calendar.

"December 24th." She murmured to herself. She had one more week to spend with the boy-who-lived. But to her he was the boy-she-loved. She walked out of her room, and into Ron's. She found Hermione, laying on Ron's bed, in her pajamas.

"Hey Herm." Ginny said casually. Hermione didn't say anything, just laid there staring at one certain point. "You okay?" Ginny asked, walking over and sitting on the other bed.

"Yeah. Just woke up from a nap." Hermione said, getting up and stretching.

"You're lying and I know it. You were just crying because you and Ron had another fight." Ginny said, in the friendliest way possible. Hermione turned around and looked at Ginny closely.

"You know everything don't you?" She said laughing. "And why is it that you and Harry never fight?" She asked, pulling the dresser open to find her clothes all unfolded. She groaned, and began to search in the mess for clothes.

"We haven't fought yet, but we will. And there's no doubt I'm going to win them when they come." Ginny said. Hermione just exhaled a 'ya'. Ginny then continued. "We all have those days. I fought with Professor Tate the other day did you see that? It was awesome! I told him off and then I almost slapped him but….."

"Ginny my problem please." Hermione said. "I've always wondered if it was all going to be worth it in the end, with all the fighting. And, to be honest, I don't know." She said.

"Hermione, do you know what Harry and I talk about?" Ginny asked. Hermione thought that she was going off topic, but there was a reason for it. Hermione thought about it and then said.

"About how Ron can't stand the fact that one day you two are going to have sex?" Hermione said jokingly. Ginny shook her head and clicked her tongue.

"Yes, but that is not what I had in mind." Ginny said, sitting down on the bed across from Hermione's and Hermione sat on her's. "We talk about you two. I know it sounds like we were meddling but we just talk about you two." Ginny said. Hermione looked more terrified than she had before. "That didn't help did it?" Ginny asked.

"No, not really." Hermione said. "But it's nice that you guys care." Hermione said, helping the situation.

"Well, we do, just not all the time. It's not like that's all we talk about. We talk about other things," Ginny said, making it clear that it was something seductive. "and sometimes our lips move, but no one talks." Ginny said smiling.

"Of course Ron and I do that too. It's like a second nature now. You walk in a room, and kiss them for a good five seconds." Hermione said. Ginny just smiled. "Oh I interrupted. Please do go on."

"Okay then." Ginny said. "So when we talk about you two as a couple, we always say it was destined. Like fate had brought you guys together, not some weird coincidence." Ginny explained, using hand gestures to make the statement more powerful.

"But why did both of us not even know it until the end of last year?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you knew in sixth year just you didn't want to show it. And Ron had his head stuck so far up his own arse that he had no clue what was going on." Ginny explained. Hermione laughed and then said.

"Hey that's my boyfriend remember that." Hermione said.

"But you still thought it was funny." Ginny said, and Hermione nodded with a smile on her face. "and you know it's true too." Ginny added and Hermione nodded one again.

"Hermione," Ron said, poking his head in. "Oh hey Ginny." He said, walking in and closing the door. Hermione and Ginny just sat there awkwardly, and Ron noticed that Hermione's face was red. "'Mione you okay?" Ron said, walking over and putting his arm around her waist.

"Yeah I'm fine now. Your sister helped me through it." Hermione said, looking at Ginny. Ginny got up, to leave the two lovebirds alone. "Hey Ginny." Hermione called out right before Ginny shut the door. She poked her head back in and looked at her.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Thanks. For Everything." Hermione said, Ron looking at Hermione intently. "Have fun with Harry tonight." Hermione said, doing that on purpose so Ron would freak out.

"Your welcome." Ginny said. "And I know I will." She said, closing the door with a smirk on her face. But not before winking at Hermione, saying good job for the joke. Ron looked terrified.

"What fun? They aren't supposed to have fun together. They shouldn't even be sleeping in the same bed! She's my little sister for crying out loud!" Ron rambled on quickly. "She's dating my best mate and chances are that he will tell me after they will and oh my god that's going to be horrible! He'll be describing me what they did and details and…."

"Ron." Hermione said, taking his face into her hands. "A joke. It was a joke." Hermione said, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Oh. But they shouldn't be doing that anyway. Ever." He said.

"No they shouldn't." Hermione said, agreeing with him and rubbing his shoulder. "And we shouldn't fight either." She said quietly, avoiding his gaze.

"We shouldn't but that's what we do." Ron said. "We wouldn't be us without us." He said, making Hermione confused.

"What?" Hermione asked. Ron looked like he had achieved the World's Highest Honor.

"Did I just confuse the great Hermione Granger?" Ron asked, emphasizing that he had. Hermione smiled, and then softly punched his arm.

"Yes, you did. But I think what you meant was that we wouldn't be us without us. And us includes fighting." Hermione said. Ron just looked the other way, cursing in his mind. 'Why did she have to be right every damn time?' he thought in his mind. Hermione looked at him waiting for him to speak. "Well?" She asked.

"Bloody hell." He muttered. "Will I ever win in this relationship?" Ron asked.

"Well, you are dating me. You had to know that I always win." Hermione said. "And besides I don't win all the time, just 99.9% of the time." She said, smirking.

"Yeah, I guess so." He said, happily. He leaned into kiss her and she kissed him. The kiss started out soft, but then grew into a raw passion for each other.

Ginny stood outside the door, an extendable ear next to her own. She smiled, and walked down the stairs. She found her mother in the kitchen, cooking lunch. Ginny's mouth started to water as she saw the ham sitting on the counter.

"Why so fancy Mum?" Ginny asked her, sitting on the bar stool. Mrs. Weasley jumped and then held her hand on her chest.

"Ginny dear you almost gave me a heart attack." She said, gaining back her tranquility. "And yes. It is quite a big lunch; we are having a big family lunch on Christmas Eve. Surely there is no problem with that." Mrs. Weasley said, half declaring and half asking.

"Harry said he wasn't going to be back until dinner mum. He had something he needed to attend." She explained.

"Oh dear, that is quite a problem. Well then, we shall postpone the lunch half an hour and if he has not arrived, we shall start without him." Mrs. Weasley explained. Ginny just nodded her head, and began to help with lunch.

************************************************

A knock was heard on the wooden door, and Ginny was told to answer it. She walked to the door and opened it. George stood there, his arm wrapped around Angelina's waist. Ginny smiled and stepped out of the way.

"Good afternoon Ginny." Angelina said.

"Good afternoon Angelina." Ginny replied back.

"Please call me Angie. My name seems too long and proper in some circumstances," she said. She started playing with a diamond ring on her left hand. "and my sister-in-law can't be calling me by my real name can she?" Angelina said, looking up with a joyful look on her face. Ginny squealed and hugged her and George.

"Oh my gosh I am so happy for you two!" Ginny said. "So you plan to tell everyone at dinner?"

"Yes, so please don't tell everyone. I needed to tell someone or else I was going to burst." She explained.

"Now that wouldn't be a good thing would it?" George asked. "Your guts on the ham. That'd be disgusting." He said, jokingly. She slapped him, and he just walked off.

"So where's your boy?" Angelina asked Ginny. They were still at the front door, and began to walk.

"He's out somewhere in god knows where. He had to leave and didn't get a chance to tell me where he was going." Ginny said. "And I hope he's back soon. Mum really wants him here." Ginny said.

"Yeah, she really wants her seventh child to be here." Ron said, walking down the stairs, Hermione towing. Ginny looked puzzled.

"I'm the seventh child." Ginny said, pointing to herself.

"No, since Harry is technically part of the family, he is older than you. Therefore, he is the seventh child and you are still the youngest." He said, mocking her like he always did. She thought about her revenge for a minute and then spoke.

"Well, just make sure you don't walk in on the last two children's room tonight. There may be some sights that will never leave your head." Ginny said, turning around and walking to the kitchen. Ron looked astonished.

"You told me it was a joke." Ron said.

"And sometimes I say things that aren't true." Hermione said, walking off after Ginny. Ron stood there, the images of his sister and best mate engrained in his mind. Hermione walked up to Ginny, who was tossing the salad. "So, was it a joke or not?"

"I don't know to be honest. It could come any night, we never know." She said, tossing the lettuce up and down. "How's Ron?"

"Still hasn't moved." Hermione said, peering around the corner. Ginny just smirked and continued on the salad. A pair on hands covered her eyes and a voice whispered in her ear.

"Guess who?" a male voice said. She knew it was Harry, so she decided to have a little fun with it.

"John?" She asked.

"No."

"David?" She asked, again.

"No."

"Dean?" She asked, and she could hear him sighing.

"No." Before she could say anything, he spun her around and kissed her. Her eyes still shut. They ended the kiss and she kept her eyes shut.

"Definitely Harry." She said, opening her eyes. "Oh look!" She said, acting like she was shocked. "I was right!" She kissed him again, and Ron hadn't moved. His eyes before were focused on the wall, now they were on Harry and Ginny. Hermione looked over to him, and saw him leave. She scurried over to him, and Ginny saw Hermione comforting him.

"That totally helped the situation." Ginny muttered and Harry seemed to hear what she said.

"What situation?" Harry asked.

"Hermione and I thought it would be funny to joke about me and you in front of Ron." Ginny said.

"Oh dear god…" Harry whispered. "What did you say?" He asked. Ginny just bit her lip, scared of what he was going to think.

"We joked about how he would be scarred for life if he walked into our bedroom tonight." Ginny explained. Harry, instead of freaking out like Ginny thought, he smiled. He didn't say anything though. "Why are you smiling like that?" Ginny asked.

"Just thinking about a memory." He said, walking off. 'Just a memory.' Ginny repeated in her head and walked off towards her family.

*************************************************

"I swear," Ginny said, throwing herself on her bed. "That was the longest family lunch I have ever had." It was now eleven at night, and the lunch had started at eleven in the morning.

"Your family is close." Harry said, taking off his sweater to reveal his new set of muscles. Ginny was very surprised.

"One: We are just as close as anyone else and Two: Where the heck did those muscles come from?" She asked, staring at his left arm which was the one facing her.

"Oh so you like them huh?" He asked, walking over to the bed, slipping on a white tank top. He climbed on next to Ginny and she automatically started poking his arm. "Ummmm. What are you doing?" Harry asked. She kept on poking them as she said;

"Making sure they aren't fake."

"Gin, would I ever do such a thing?" He asked, batting his eyelashes like a eight year old Daddy's Girl.

"No," She said. "But my brother would."

"Very true. Very true." He said.

"So, why'd you leave this morning? You missed a heck of a lot drama." She said. Harry just got a light in his eyes and walked over to his jacket. He reached in the pocket, and pulled out a black velvet box. Ginny looked at it like it was something from another universe, but for her, it was.

"This is why I was gone so long." He said, opening the box. A pair of shining emerald earrings shone in the dim light. She was speechless.

"Harry…." She whispered.

"I wanted to give them to you know because I thought this would be more special." He explained. She examined them closely looking at every nook and cranny. "They were my mum's and I thought you might like them." He said. She didn't say anything, but she stood up and opened her bedside table. She pulled out a long, thin box, like something you would put a box of chocolates in.

She gave it to him, and he opened it to find two tickets to Paris lying on the bottom.

"I thought it would be nice to get away from the family." She said. "The flight is in two days." She said.

"Wow Gin. This will be incredible." Was all Harry could muster out at the moment. "I know my present isn't as good but…" He said but Ginny cut him off by kissing him. They broke apart and she whispered.

"Just do one thing for me." She said.

"And what would that be?" Harry asked, seductivly.

"Just shut up." She said, kissing him until the night passed through their fingers, like sand through a delicate hand.


	10. Chapter 10: Oi!

**Chapter 10**

As the snow fell down from the heavens, a young girl and her boyfriend sat in the corner of the sitting room. His arm was gently wrapped around her waist, pulling her body closer to his. Her head was leaning against his shoulder, her eyes closed. They had been sitting there for the past two hours, but Ginny had drifted off to sleep. Harry looked at her, and smiled. She looked so calm and peaceful. He laughed silently at the thought that she wasn't going to be that way when she woke up.

He sat there, while she slept, thinking of all the things that had happened in the past year. He had spent months upon months, searching for Horcruxes and risking his life to do so. He had almost been killed many times, along with being killed. But coming back to life minutes later. He had killed the darkest and most evil wizard of all time. But with that came many sacrifices. His owl Hedwig, Mad-Eye Moody, Fred, Remus and Tonks. He couldn't even bear to think of all the others.

But a great, amazing thing also happened that year; He had gotten together with Ginny. He always knew in his heart, that she was the one that he wanted to spend his life with. But his mind just hadn't realized it yet. Like he had said in his sixth year, they could've spent days, months, or more years together if he had realized. But if he had, things could also be different. He looked down at her once more, and kissed her head.

He saw Mr. Weasley, walking down the stairs, presents in hand. He saw Harry, and then saw his daughter, and smiled.

"You know," He said, putting presents down in neat little piles. "If you ever wanted my permission, the answer would always be yes." Harry was confused at what he was referring to, so he just asked him.

"I'm sorry; I don't know what you mean." Harry said. Then he rethought about what he had said, and then felt like a total idiot. "Now I do." Mr. Weasley smiled, and then sat down on the couch.

"Son, I know that you love her, and I know that you'd do anything for her. Even if that meant breaking the rules and sleeping in her bed, just to be with her." He said, ratting Harry out in a friendly way. "Now, I have some rules to impose." He said, walking over to the seat across from Harry. Harry was terrified.

"Just to be clear, you are okay with the switching room thing?" Harry asked.

"I am, but Molly might not be as convinced. I know about Ron and Hermione as well, and I am also fine with that. But there is always one rule within our house that shall never be broken." Mr. Weasley said, his hands pressed together as if symmetric. Harry just listened intently, hoping the rest of the conversation wasn't awkward. "And that rule is, nothing goes on under these roofs, unless those two are married or set to wed within one year."

Harry thought about that rule for a second, and then smiled. "Yes sir." Harry said. Harry knew that Ron and Hermione had broken that same rule the night before. Even if you cast a silencing spell, something can still break it.

"Well, I have heard from Molly many times that you young ones want to move out. Good for you." He said. "Now, Santa must go make Molly's coffee." He said, smiling. Ginny hadn't moved one bit since Mr. Weasley had come in the room, but she moved as soon as he left the room.

"Good morning." Harry greeted her by kissing her. She kissed him back, with a little bit of sleep in her kiss. She was tired.

"Same to you. Merry Christmas Harry." She said, looking at him.  
"Merry Christmas." He muttered and kissed her again. This time it was deeper and more awakening. The pure passion just showed how much they loved each other, and how much they needed each other to live. Harry moved his hands from his side, one onto her thigh and one on her lower waist.

"OI! GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SISTER YOU LUNATIC!" Ron yelled. Harry and Ginny just broke apart, and laughed. "What's so funny eh? Feeling up my sister is funny?" He questioned.

"Well Ron," Ginny said, standing up and walking towards Ron, one step at a time. "I didn't have that much of a problem with what Harry and I heard last night, so you shouldn't have that much problem with Harry touching me." She said, and by this time she was seven inches from his face, cocking her head to the side.

"That's different Ginny." Ron said.

"How is that any different? You get to have sex with Hermione, and Harry and I can't have any physical contact?" Ginny questioned him.

"YES! NO PHYSICAL CONTACT!" Ron yelled.

"I surely hope that you and Hermione have not had too much physical contact while under this roof Ronald Weasley." Mrs. Weasley said, strolling down the stairs in her robe.

"Merry Christmas Darling." Mr. Weasley greeted Mrs. Weasley at the bottom of the steps. He kissed her hand, and she just grinned. Ron just looked away in disgust and Ginny smiled, knowing that her parents loved each other. She walked over to Harry, who had moved into a chair.

"You showed him." He whispered, kissing her cheek. Mrs. Weasley then walked into the room, a cup of steaming tea in her aging hand.

"Hey mum, when's everyone gonna be here?" Ginny asked.

"I just sent them all a message. They should all be here within five minutes." She explained.

"Good morning everyone." Hermione said, walking downstairs with a particular smile across her face. She walked straight into the kitchen and Ginny stood up and followed her right in.

"Why so smiley?" Ginny asked, sitting down on the bar stool.

"No reason. Would you like some tea?" She said, pouring out her own tea. Hermione sat across from her and Ginny leaned over the counter.

"You and Ron had sex last night and I know it." She said. Hermione put on a very bad shocked look.

"Why would you think that?" She asked.

"Okay, a couple reasons. A: I haven't seen you so smiley since you saw Professor Slughorn give extra credit for an extra roll of parchment. B: You and Ron gave that look to each other while you walked past him and into the kitchen and C: You guys really need to learn to cast better silencing charms." Hermione just looked embarrassed.

"Wow. I guess I'll have to cast it next time." She said laughing.

"Yeah, I guess so. So, you ready to open your presents?" She asked, getting up and pulling Hermione into the lounge. Almost everyone was there, except for Charlie, who had to work in Romania.

"Don't think I have any. I mean, I'm just Ron's fiancée." She said, casually walking out.

"Wait; did you just say what I thought you said?" Ginny asked. Hermione turned around, her hand held in the air. Her finger held a diamond ring, which Ginny was questioning how Ron could afford it. It look at least four karat, with a ruby on each side.

"Wow, Hermione. I'm so happy for you! And the ring is absolutely gorgeous!" Ginny said, gaping at the ring. Hermione just smiled, and withdrew her hand.

"I know, I never would have guessed he would." She said. "Please don't tell anyone. We're gonna tell everyone later in the day."

"You can trust me." Ginny said, walking out of the room. Bill and Fleur had arrived, and then they could open presents. Ginny walked over to her pile, which she was guessing someone had put next to Harry's for specific reasons.

"Merry Christmas Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley said, pulling Ginny into the infamous bone-crushing Mrs. Weasley hug.

"Merry Christmas mum." She said, letting go and sitting down.

"Well, open up!" Mrs. Weasley said, ushering everyone to open their gifts. Ginny reached for her first one, which was a jumper from her mother, as always.

"Thanks mum. It's just what I wanted." She said, knowing she had a whole box full of them she had never worn.

"You're welcome Ginny." She said a smile upon her aging face. Ginny had opened all her presents, which included a book from Hermione, a box of chocolate frogs from Ron and so forth.

"Why haven't you opened anything?" Ginny asked, Harry who had done just that.

"I don't know. Been watching everyone else I guess." He said.

"Well, open them!" She said, handing him his first present. It was a vest from Mrs. Weasley, his first vest out of all the other sweaters he had received. He went through all his presents, until he was down to a bulky envelope.

"Oh Harry dear, Andromeda gave that to us and informed us that it was supposed to be given to you on your 17th birthday." Mrs. Weasley said. Harry just nodded, and carefully opened a package. There was a tiny package within the package and two sealed envelopes. One read mum and the other read dad. Harry peeled open the first letter and began to read;

 _My little Harry,_

 _I cannot believe that you are all grown up! And I am very saddened that your father and I are not there to share it with you. When you read this, you while be surrounded by friends and family. And maybe even a girlfriend. Let's just hope not any little Potter's any time soon Harry. While I'm writing this letter, you are on my lap, trying to eat the parchment. If it hasn't faded yet, maybe you can see in the right hand corner a little of your drool you left when you tried to eat it._

 _Here you are, reading this letter, a grown man, and also a young baby boy, trying to eat every possible thing in sight. Your father has yet to write his letter, because he thinks that we will make it. But I know we won't. There will always be that little part of my heart that hopes that we make it. But reality shows different. I must go now, you have begun to cry. Harry, I love you. Don't you ever forget that._

 _Love,_

 _Mum_

Harry looked at the corner and indeed there was a drool stain. He touched it, knowing that was from almost seventeen years ago considering he was a year old when his parents died and then he got the letter a year late. He carefully picked the second letter up and examined the scribbled handwriting. It was very similar to his, very similar indeed. He opened it and began to read the letter.

 _Harry,_

 _I see no point in this letter, I'm sorry. Your mother thinks we won't make it, but I know we will. Your mother seems to think that we are going to get found and murdered, but I know that's not going to happen. And if it does, I might just have to die myself to save you and your mother. I don't know if you know the story of how we met, but we used to hate each other. Well, she hated me and I loved her. Then she fell for me and my charming ways. This would usually be the place your mother would slap my arm for being so cocky. She prays that you won't get that, but I hope you do._

 _Now, you're a man. Girls are very hard to impress, are they not? Especially red heads I'm telling yeah. Not all of them, but your mother was just a piece of work. I can only imagine you with a gorgeous red-head as beautiful as your mother. Heck, nobody is as beautiful as your mother! Sorry but nobody is. I have to leave now; your mother is throwing a fit because I didn't do something like I was supposed to. Typical. Now, remember, three simple rules: Smile, Charm, and if you have to, use a little magic on her; if you know what I mean. Go get em' son._

 _Dad_

There were parts in the letter which made Harry laugh, and made Harry think that his dad was physic. I mean, a girl as beautiful as his mum. Makes perfect sense.

"Thanks so much Harry." Hermione said, holding up her new self-inking quill.

"You're Welcome." Harry replied back. He then remembered that there was a little package that he had received in the envelope. He opened it to find two items, one for a child, and one for a man. In there, was a baby pacifier with a snitch engraved on the front. The other item, was a diamond ring. Just a simple diamond set upon a gold band. He examined it, and put it back before anyone could think for a reason why he had that.

"So mum," Ron said, clearing his throat. "Hermione and I have something to tell you." He said, and Hermione stood up with him. She held out her hand and squealed.

"We're getting married!" She said excitedly and Mrs. Weasley's face was absolutely priceless. Her smile was from ear to ear, her eyes like a child when he or she see's their birthday cake. The family then gathered around to say there congrats to the happy couple.

***********************************************************

A day later, Harry and Ginny were getting ready to board their plane to Paris.

"Look at all these muggles." Ginny said amazed. "They dress so differently than we do." She said, staring a particular woman. The woman then noticed and looked back at her, wondering why she was staring. Ginny just shook her head away, and looked at Harry.

"Bloody Hell…" Harry muttered reaching in his pocket. "It's work, I'm sorry. I'll be right back." He said, walking over to a corner where nobody could see him.

"Hey Boss. I'm kinda getting ready to go on a plane right now." Harry said.

"What's a plane? Well, anyways, get your luggage and get down here in the next hour. There's a death eater rampage, and we need your help."


	11. Chapter 11: Life

**Chapter 11**

"Ok, I'll be right there." Harry said, shutting down the floo call. Portable floo calls. Who would've thought?

"Ginny. We need to go, I'm sorry. It's work." He said.

"But can't work just wait? I'm going back to school in a week and this could be our only alone time." She said, stroking his shirt collar.

"I know, there's nothing more in the world that I want right now, but I have to." He said. He picked up her hand off his shirt, and kissed the top of it. "Now, we have to leave." He said, pulling her away.

"Wait." She said, pulling her hand out of his tight grip. "What about our stuff?" She asked. Harry snapped his fingers, and then began to walk again.

"They're now at the burrow." He said, pulling her into a corner and popped them away. They landed on the front porch, and turned to face her. "Ginny, you can't tell your family about this do you understand?" He said. She nodded.

"But isn't Ron going?" she asked.

"Yes he is, but they also told him to not tell anybody." He explained. "Ginny, I might die on this mission. I might come back, I might not. But if I don't, just always remember that I love you." He said, kissing her cheek. He began to walk away, but she pulled him back into a passionate kiss.

"See you when you get back." She said, biting her lip. He turned on the spot, and he was gone. "See you." She whispered under her breathe, and then knocked on the door. Mrs. Weasley opened the door, a pair of knitting needles in her hand.

"Ginny dear, you're supposed to be on a plate right now." Mrs. Weasley said.

"Plane mum, and Harry had to leave and he didn't want me going alone." She said, walking into her childhood home.

"Where did he leave to?" She asked. Ginny then remembered that she couldn't tell her, and had to lie.

"He was invited to China to accept an award of Merlin or something like that." She said, as her mother shut the door.

"Then why didn't you go with him? Surely he would want family there." She said, making it more and more harder on Ginny.

"They said that he could go. They didn't want family there because it would be sort of….sort of…" Ginny said, trying to think of a word.

"Chaotic?" Mrs. Weasley said, guessing at what the word was.

"Yes I believe that is what they said. So have you seen Hermione anywhere?" Ginny said, looking around.

"She left the house about two hours ago and never came back." She said.

"I'll go look for her." Ginny said, walking out of the backdoor. She looked around the backyard. A bare Quidditch pitch, ponds with fish jumping out of them, but no Hermione. She walked over to the broom shed, and picked up her broom. She jumped on it, and went off over the trees. She flew all around, and she couldn't find any sign of Hermione. She kept looking for books or any sign of parchment, but nothing. The only thing that was close to parchment was the trees in which it was made from.

"Hermione….." Ginny said, under her breathe. "Where are you?" She flew all over the property, nowhere in sight. Ginny had to find her. She needed someone to talk to about what was happening, and why. That's when she spotted her. She was sitting against a tree, crying and running her fingers through her hair. Ginny flew down to her quietly, trying to make very little noise. It appeared as if she hadn't succeeded, because Hermione saw her coming and just laughed like she was laughing at herself.

"You found me." She said, as she approached.

"Guess so." Ginny said, sitting down next to her. They sat there in a not so awkward silence, Hermione's brunette waves flowing in the wind. The flowers around would sway back and forth, as if they were dancing to a song.

"I'm scared Ginny." Hermione whispered.

"They'll be fine trust me." Ginny said reassuringly. But she didn't feel totally honest with that statement. Frankly, she didn't know if they would be okay.

"Not that. I know what those men are capable of. I'm scared of everything Ginny." She said.

"Like what?" Ginny said, looking at Hermione.

"Like everything! I still haven't gotten my parents out of Australia, meaning they haven't met Ron, meaning Ron never asked for permission meaning….." Ginny cut her off because she had began to talk very quickly.

"That you need to take a breath. Everything will be okay."

"How do you know that?" Hermione said, tears rolling down her already red face. "Ron and I need to move out of here before we get married, and first we need to get it ready. And not to mention what's ahead of that! Graduating, NEWTS, a job, bills, wedding plans, getting through the wedding, kids, oh dear god kids." She said.

"Hermione. Get a hold of yourself. I may seem like I'm all strong, but on the inside, I am terrified. Absolutely terrified. I am moving out of my childhood home two days after we get back from grad. I have a boyfriend who is risking his life out there, to save mine." Ginny said.

"Ron's doing that exact same thing! We are all doing the exact same thing Ginny!" Hermione said.

"No we aren't Hermione. I have been waiting for my entire life. I used to wear the dish towel over my head and have Fred walk me down the aisle and Ron would be waiting there as my groom. And George would be the priest or whatever stands at the front and all that." Hermione stood up, and started to walk towards a bush and then popped out of site without a word. Ginny picked up her broom, rode back to the Burrow, and went upstairs to comfort Hermione with all her troubles.

***************************************

"Ron," Harry said, walking into their tent. They were stationed outside of Godric's Hollow, a key place the death eaters were suspected to attack.

"Yeah?" He said, looking over to the journal in which they had to keep.

"You and Hermione really need to learn how to cast better silencing charms." He said, walking away. Ron looked shocked that Harry said that, let alone that he actually knew. "Not to be offending your mad skills or anything, just let Hermione cast it next time."

"You and Ginny were the only ones that heard right?" He asked.

"Anyone near your room probably heard it. But don't worry; you're safe with your parents." Harry said, throwing on a clean shirt. "Your dad is either hiding that he knows from your mom, or he doesn't know all together."

"Dad's fine with it, I think. But mum would go bloody insane." He said, drinking a sip of his water and looking at the page. "I don't think insane could even express what she would do."

"That's your mum for you." Harry said, sitting on the couch. He looked at the piece of parchment, and began to pick it up. Then he put it down. This went on for the next half hour, with the frustration of making the decision. Harry needed to talk to her. This was the only time that he could see her, but he had to go on a mission. He was also told that he couldn't write to anyone because anyone could intercept the letter, and know their location.

Little did he know, that the love of his life, was doing the exact same thing.

*****************************

"But Hermione," Ginny whined.

"Ginny you can't!" She said. "I want to talk to Ron as much as you want to talk to Harry, but we can't. They need to keep their minds on the mission, not on us."

"For all you could know Harry could be out there dead right now!" Ginny snapped.

"For all we both know, Ron could be dead right now. Your brother and my fiancé. It hurts to even consider the thought, but we will have to live with it."

"It's just one little letter though. It's a three inch piece of parchment; it's not that big a deal." She said.

"Just three inches, and I get the other side for Ron." She said.

"Fine." Ginny said, ripping a piece of parchment. She took out her pen and handed it to Hermione. She watched as Hermione scribbled away on the tiny piece of parchment, occasionally stopping to think of what she was going to write. When she was finished, she handed the self-inking quill and parchment to Ginny. She then wrote her heart and soul, as small as she could, into this little paper.

She then called Pidwidgeon, who then whisked away the letter to Harry and Ron, deep within the forest.

***************************

"Mate, the post is here." Ron said, confused.

"We couldn't have gotten any post, nobody knows where we are." Harry said, looking out the opening of the tent.

"Bloody hell, it's Pig." He said, staring at the bird as it came outside the tent opening. Ron carefully stepped outside, being careful not to be too noticeable. He untied the letter, fed Pidwidgeon a treat, and sent him back through the trees.

"Who's it from mate?" Harry asked, looking at the mission plans.

"Hermione. And Ginny from the looks of it." He said, looking over the tiny piece of parchment.

"What?" Harry asked.

"It's a letter from both of them. Mine's on one side, your's on the other." He explained, while reading his letter from Hermione. It read;

 _Ron,_

 _Come home safe. That's all I hope for right now. I'm not going to go back to school until I come home to a living, breathing fiancé. One that gets on my last nerve sometimes, but I still need him in my life. Ron, I need you in my life, and I can't see my life any other way. I love you, forever and always. Be safe._

 _Hermione_  
He just stared at the paper, smiling, and now knowing the true reason he was fighting. He walked over and passed the paper to Harry, who took it in a heartbeat. He looked at how small the writing was, and how messy it was. Well, that was Ginny.

 _Harry,_

 _You are driving me insane. Completely and utterly insane. I know you needed to do this, and it was better that I not write to you, but I had to. It's been two days, and I am going mad. This was supposed to be the time that we spent together before I went back to school. But I understand why you left, and I know you made the right decision by leaving but I go back to school in four days. Please try and be back by then. I love you._

 _Gin_  
Everything in that letter described what he had felt. He needed to see her before she went back to Hogwarts. But he didn't know if the mission would end by then. He then continued to look at the mission plan, hoping they could finish it in four days.

********************************

It was the morning of January 2nd, the morning that Ginny and Hermione were set to go back to school. They hadn't heard anything from neither Harry nor Ron since they had sent their last letter. Hermione had decided to stay home to wait for Ron, doing her schoolwork while she waited. On the other hand, Ginny was going back to Hogwarts. Mrs. Weasley refused to let her stay home for some reason, and was sending her back.

Ginny rolled her trolley through the crowded station, alone for the first time in her life. Neither of her parents hadn't come, nor Hermione. She ran through the wall between platforms nine and ten to get onto platform 9 and ¾. The red train sat there, looking beautiful as it always did. Ginny then remembered this was going to be the last time she would ride the train to Hogwarts.

She put her trunk away, and then found the compartment where Luna sat, reading the quibbler.

"Hello Ginny." She said, putting it down. "How was your holiday?" she asked.

"Good I guess." She replied back. They talked until they reached the castle, then they went their separate ways. Ginny sat alone in the common room, many hours past when she should have been asleep. She just sat there, her legs up to her chest. She missed him, and she had no idea how in God's name she was going to do this. But everything was going to be okay she knew. As long as she was strong and held her head up high. Nothing was going to stop her.


	12. Chapter 12: Finally

**Chapter 12**

"It's done." Harry said, standing over Lucius Malfoy. "It's over Malfoy." He said. Ron came running up to Harry, who had just finished fighting another Death Eater. Their faces were cut, their eyes sunken in from the lack of sleep. The blood running down their face slowly, eventually coming to a stop when it had settled there long enough.

"Is that it mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah these were the last two." He said; out of breathe from the duel. "Now we have to contact Kingsley. He wanted us to report back to him." Harry took out his floo caller and made it contact Kingsley. He answered within a heartbeat.

"You two have succeeded I hope." He said.

"Yes we have sir. We have Lucius Malfoy and Richard Crabbe under body locking curse sir. " He replied back.

"Excellent. Now, would you please wait there until the Azkaban Prison Guards come to get them." He said.

"Yes Sir." Harry said.

"Good work Harry." He said, shutting down the floo call before Harry could respond. He looked over at Ron, who was sitting on a curb. He looked anxious.

"Why so anxious Ron?" Harry asked, sitting down next to him.

"Lots of bloody reasons mate. Lots of bloody reasons….." He  
said.

"Where'd you put Crabbe's body?" He asked. It sounded like they had killed him, but they hadn't. They just petrificus totalus-ed them and then the guards would undo the spell after they were in their prison cell.

"Over next to Malfoy. He was a hard one to fight, but I saw you and Lucius going at it." He said. "Heard a couple windows break, and some bone snapping." He said.

"Oh yeah. Malfoy sent a curse at my chest, and it hit my left arm. Good thing that wasn't my wand hand." He said.

"Tell me about it. So Kingsley is going to be here when…" Ron asked.

"I don't know. Probably around…" He said, and then two prison guards apparated ten feet away from them. "Now."

"Where are they?" They asked in a deep toned voice.

"Over there." Harry pointed. They walked over and with a flick of a wand, both of the convicted death eaters were sent to Azkaban. One went with the two, one did not. The one that stayed started walking towards them and gave them a scroll of some sorts.

"You are free to go back home." He simply said, and then popped away. Harry and Ron smiled and then apparated back to their tent, where they would retrieve their belongings and go back to the burrow. Go back home.

Harry and Ron put all of their belongings in their pockets. After they had shrinked them of course. They locked arms, and got sucked into the horrible feeling of apparition. They landed on the front porch, same as Harry did with Ginny almost an entire month ago. They both opened the door and walked in.

"Mum! We're home!" Ron yelled through the house. Ron expected Mrs. Weasley to be the first one to come at the, but she wasn't. And Harry knew perfectly well who it would be.

"RON!" Hermione said, bounding into him just as she had when they first saw each other at the train station. He swung her around and finished the circle with a kiss. Harry hoped that Ginny was here, but he had a feeling she wasn't. Once Ron and Hermione finished all their lovey-dovey talk, Hermione came over to Harry and hugged him. Harry winced as Hermione was putting slight pressure on his arm, making it feel as if needles were stabbing him.

"I know what you're thinking Harry." She said as they let go of each other. "She went back to Hogwarts. Molly wouldn't let her stay for some reason." She explained.

"Oh." Harry said awkwardly walking into the lounge. He walked into the kitchen, and grabbed what he could eat. He hadn't had a decent meal since Christmas Day. He grabbed bread, pumpkin juice, more bread, and his favorite, Treacle Tart. He put them down the table, and dug in. Ron hadn't come in for food yet, and they had been home for at least fifteen minutes. The only thing that would stop Ron from getting food was…

"That explains things." Harry said, standing in front of Ron's door that had a 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign. Harry just laughed and walked right into his room, or Ginny's room. It looked as if nobody had touched it for years, excluding the crumpled up balls of paper that were thrown about the room. He leaned on the chair, forgetting that his arm was broken, and heard it snap even more.

He bit his lip, trying not to scream out in pain. He grabbed his arm, and walked downstairs. He opened the potion pantry, hoping they had at least something for the pain. He looked through all the bottles. Headache, Skele-Grow, and the contraceptive potion seemed to be gone.

"Ron…" He laughed under his breath. He kept looking for something for broken bones, but nothing was there. "Okay so they have a contraceptive potion but no potion for pain." He said. He had to explore his other options in which he could take away the pain. He considered St. Mungo's but they had other things that were worse than a broken arm and a couple scratches. Buying the potion from a store, make it himself, which could both end up potentially problematic. The only reasonable place he could think of was Hogwarts, and that could help with two things. His broken arm and his aching heart.

He walked over to the fireplace and called out 'Hogwarts Headmistress Office.' Professor McGonagall answered the call five rings later.

"Mr. Potter." She said surprised. "What makes you call me at this late hour?" She asked.

"Well, I have a slight problem." He said.

"And what would be this 'slight problem' of yours?" She asked before he could even go on.

"I was recently on a mission and a death eater cast a spell that broke my arm. I don't have any potion and St. Mungo's has other things to care about." He explained.

"So you would like to use the help of Madam Pomfrey." She said.

"Yeah that was sort of my intention." He said smiling. "And I was also wondering if I could stay there for a week?"

"And does Ms. Weasley have anything to do with this sudden want of yours?" She asked. Harry hoped she wouldn't take it the wrong way, but he answered nonetheless.

"Yes, it does actually, and I just wanted to relook a couple of things." He said.

"You may stay here for a week, but only a week's time; and no longer. Ms. Weasley has schoolwork to do and I suspect that you have some work of your own to accomplish, am I wrong?"

"No professor. Not at all. I best be going now." He said.

"Here I hope. That arm of yours can do nothing but get worse without some medical attention." She said.

"Of course." He said, shutting down the call. He had to leave some sort of note that he was going to be gone for a week. He grabbed a piece of parchment, and scribbled down a letter explained everything. A couple don't worry's and an I'll be back were written into that letter. He went upstairs, packed his things, and went into the fireplace and called 'Hogwarts!'

The green whished around him, and he was then transported into the Headmistress's Office. She was sitting in her chair, writing some sort of letter.

"Mr. Potter. Madam Pomfrey is eager to see you. She hasn't had a decent case since you and the Weasley Twins left." She said.

"Oh yeah." Harry said quietly, silently remembering the humorous soul of Fred Weasley. And he also noticed a small glint of remembering in McGonagall's cat-like eyes. She then quietly forbid him goodbye and sent him to the hospital wing. He looked around, and saw that most of the castle had been repaired, with the exceptions of some areas in which nobody wanted to touch.

Harry walked to the wing, and entered it to find Madam Pomfrey standing by a bed.

"Oh Mr. Potter. It's been a long time since I have seen you here." She said as he walked towards her.

"Yes it does seem that way doesn't it?" He said, sitting up on the bed.

"Minerva has given word to me that you have come to seek my medical attention. Now, what is it we have here?" She asked, looking at his wrist. He winced as she picked it up, and she cast a spell. It felt better, but there was that lingering switch of pain still left in his wrist. "You will still have a little pain for about fifteen minutes, but then it will be completely healed."

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey." He said as she walked away.

"Always a pleasure." She said, and then closed the door to her office. Harry got up, and made his way out the door. He thought about Ron and Hermione, and laughed at the thought of what they were probably doing at that moment.

**************************************

Ron was lying in bed, just waking up from a nap after his second big physical activity for the day. He hadn't had a decent sleep since he last saw her. He looked at the bathroom and saw Hermione in the mirror. She was brushing her hair, which was silky after a steamy shower. She was baring no clothes, nor anything else. Ron looked at her curves, her body, her face. All so beautiful to him.

He stood up and leaned against the wall that was nearest to the bathroom. Hermione came out; all she wore was a towel. Ron came up behind her, and hugged her.

"You know, you're the most beautiful woman in the world." He said, kissing her neck. She smiled, turned around and kissed him. "And the smartest too." He added, three kisses later.

"Well that one is just obvious." She said grinning. "Smart enough to cast a silencing charm right." She said teasing him.

"It's not my fault!" He said defensively. "You were saying all these bad things and I had to cast it quickly!" He said under pressure.

"Yeah, quickly enough so Ginny has to talk to me about it." She said.

"And Harry talked to me about it. He said that my spell was terrible and you should've cast it." He said.

"Yeah that's really weird." She said. "They both talked to us about it." She said.

"People talk hun." He said, kissing her cheek. "I'm going downstairs to go get some food." He said, standing by the door.

"Shocker." She said, looking at him. He just looked at her and then left down the stairs. The stairs seemed to get longer as his stomach grew hungrier. He finally reached the end, and practically ran to the pantry. He put the contraceptive potion back in its place, hoping no one had noticed that he had taken it. He began making a sandwich when he heard his mum come in through the front door.

"Hermione dear I'm home!" She said throughout the house. Every year she aged, that voice never got a tiny bit softer. He then saw a note on the counter, and shoved it in his pocket before his mum could see it. He hid it, even though he had no idea what was on it.

"I think someone is here to see you Molly." Hermione said, strolling down the stairs in her pajamas.

"Who could come here to see me dear?" She said. And that's when Ron stepped out of the kitchen, into Mrs. Weasley's view. Ron then realize, he and his bones immediately regretted it. Mrs. Weasley created a one-woman-stampede towards Ron and crushed him into a hug.

"You're back!" She said. "And look at those cheekbones! We need to get some food in you Ronald Weasley! And no doubt Harry is exactly the same." She said.

"About that…." Hermione said. "Harry went to Hogwarts for a week. He broke his arm and needed some treatment. He will be back next weekend." Hermione said. Ron looked at her, confused about what she had just said.

" dear, now Ron. I must make you a late-night snack." She said, scurrying into the kitchen and rummaging through the pantry for something to make for Ron.

"Hermione how'd you?" He asked. She held up the crumpled up note that used to be shoved in Ron's pajama pocket.

"Saw you put the note in your pocket and just took it." She said grinning. "He's gone off to see Ginny." She said. Ron just shrugged, shook it out of his mind, and went into the kitchen to eat the sandwich and whatever else his mum gave him.

************************************

Ginny looked up at the stars, looking at each individual shining star. It shone in the night, lighting up the grounds. The moonlight glowed on the lake, in which she had dove into last week with Luna. Just for the fun of it. Every night since the beginning of sixth year, she would come up to the Astronomy Tower and just look at the stars. Stealing Harry's Invisibility Cloak helped a lot with the sneaking around.

It was almost every day that she would look at the grounds and think of Harry, even before they had gotten together. Sometimes she imagined his voice in her head.

"Hey Beautiful." She heard his voice say. She just looked back out, and then realized that the voice was actually real. She turned around to see Harry, standing there smiling. She turned around and threw herself at him. He embraced her, hugging her. She kissed him.

"You're here." She said after they were finished.

"Of course I am." He said softly.

"I missed you." She said.

"I missed you too." She said kissing him passionately. He returned with such fierceness, such hunger, that this was the first time they both felt it was right. The two lovers then fell on top of each other, mending their souls into one.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	13. Chapter 13: Friends And More

Chapter 13

 **Seven Months Later…**

It was the morning of August 27th, a warm and sunny day. Also the day when two best friends would be bonded for life. The bride was in her best friend's childhood room, getting ready for her special day.

"Oh my god!" Ginny said, walking in. Her maize colored bridesmaid dress was waving back and forth. It was strapless, and the fabric stretched down to about mid-thigh. "You look absolutely gorgeous!" She squealed

"Thank you!" Hermione said, turning around in her dress. It was a very simple yet elegant dress. No lace, no unnecessary add ons. Just a spaghetti strap dress that went down to the ground. Nothing much too it. "You don't look half bad yourself." She said.

"Oh stop it. You picked out this dress." Ginny said.

"Yes, but you wear it very nicely." Mrs. Weasley butted in. "Hermione dear, you have to be down in five minutes." She said.

"Oh my god…" She muttered. "Am I really getting married? Seriously?" She asked excitedly.

"Yeah. It makes it more miraculous since it was Ron. We thought you two would never see it coming." Harry said, walking in. "Gin, we gotta get in place." He said. "By the way Hermione, you look beautiful."

"Thanks Harry." She said, blushing. A girl can't help it. Mr. Granger walked in and Hermione walked to him.

"Hermione you look…" He said looking at her.

"I know." She said sweetly. "I've heard it a lot." She said. They walked to the side of the tent opening, and stood there while Harry and Ginny moved down the aisle.

"Who would've thought these two would actually be getting married?" Ginny said.

"I don't know Gin. Like everyone." He said, before the split to their two sides. Then the wedding march began to play, and Hermione began to stride down the aisle. Both Ron was beaming, as was Hermione. Ginny winked at Harry, and he just smiled. Mrs. Weasley was already in tears, gently wiping them away with a handkerchief. Mr. Weasley on the other hand, was perfectly fine. Mr. and Mrs. Granger seemed to be holding up pretty well.

Hermione stopped in front of Ron, and her father gave her a kiss on the cheek. She walked up to face Ron, and held his hand. They then turned to face a short man, who would be performing the ceremony. They tried to get the man from Bill and Fleur's wedding, but he was killed in the Final Battle.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today to join these two in Holy Matrimony." The man said. "If anyone would like to object thee to wed, please speak now or forever hold your peace." He said.

"I OBJECT!" A drunk, hundred and seven year old woman said, standing up. A bottle of fire whiskey in her aged hand.

"MURIEL!" Mrs. Weasley said. "Sit down!" She yelled.

"No, I will not let my grandson marry someone like her!" She yelled.

"That explains why you never got married you crazy old bat." Ginny said with attitude. "Now sit down or you will _forever_ hold your peace." Ginny threatened. Harry loved this side of her, even though he shouldn't, he just did. Muriel sat down, glaring at Ginny. The rest of the guests were looking at Ginny, and she stepped back to her place and cleared her throat.

"Go on. Go on." She said, telling him to get it over with. He shook his head, and then continued on with the ceremony.

"Do you Ronald Weasley, take Hermione Granger as your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, until death parts you?" He asked.

"I will. I mean I do. I do." He repeated, correcting his mistake.

"And do you, Hermione Granger, take Ronald Weasley to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, until death parts you?" He asked once more.

"I do. And I actually said it right." She said, teasing Ron. He just laughed, as did the rest of the guests. Except for Aunt Muriel, who was most likely to be thrown out of the party.

"Now, may you both join hands?" He asked. Ron and Hermione held hands, and the short man walked up, and cast a spell. A golden chain appeared and bonded them by the wrists. "I now pronounce you man and wife." He said. "You may kiss the bride." He said. Ron put his hand on Hermione's face, and kissed her. The crowd clapped, and a few wolf whistled after Ron took Hermione into a dive and held her there. He put her back up and they both walked down the aisle, followed by Harry and Ginny. They all then went into the sitting room, where they would all come back out in five minutes time.

"Congrats mate." Harry said, patting him on the back.

"That was an…interesting ceremony." Ginny said. "Definitely something that Aunt Muriel will remember forever." She said, cracking her knuckles.

"Yeah Gin. You sure gave it to her." Harry said.

"Oh she ain't seen nothing yet." She said, pounding one fist into the open palm. Hermione looked calm, but Ron, on the other hand, looked absolutely bloody terrified. "Not you Ron, Muriel." Ginny said, and Ron immediately relaxed.

"This isn't reality." Hermione muttered. "This just isn't real!" She said, excitedly.

"No trust me it is." Ginny said, slightly slapping her brother's cheek. "Yup, seems to be to me. Happy Wedding Day Bro." She said patting his cheek.

"Harry!" Ron said.

"Dude I can't tame her." He said, with his hands up in the air while he surrendered. Ginny winked at Harry and grinned. Hermione knew exactly what had happened for a while now, but Ron hadn't known.

"No. No. No." He said.

"It's okay Ron." Ginny said. "I'm still a virgin." She lied.

"With what we do, you are _definitely_ not a virgin." He said, loud enough so that way just Ginny could hear. She smiled, laughed a little, and began to talk to Hermione. Five minutes passed, until the newlyweds, best man, and maid of honor had to make their way out into the party. Harry and Ginny just then casually slipped in, and only Charlie saw them. Harry slipped his arm around Ginny's waist and she laid her head on his shoulder. Then the Weird Sisters (Harry pulled a few strings) introduced the new married couple.

"I now introduce to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Weasley!" They said, and they played a song as they walked out. The clapping was slightly muffled, and the room got brighter when they both walked in. It took both of them a while to say hello to everyone, and by that time, Ginny had had one too many drinks.

"MURIEL!" Someone heard Ginny yell, stampeding across the room. Then you saw a sober Harry, running after his drunken girlfriend. Everyone thought it would be the other way around, but it wasn't.

Harry finally caught up with her, and tried to knock some sense in her. Or just put the sense in a tequila shot that would work just the same, maybe even better.

"Gin, she's somewhere else now." Harry said, trying to be a calming voice to her.

"Hope it's in hell because that's where she's expected in ten minutes!" Ginny screamed, again stomping off in some random direction. Harry hopelessly, chased after her.

"What a man will do for love…" Hermione said as they sat down to eat. Ron, of course, was very anxious for the food. It's Ron, you can't blame him. They all ate their chicken a la Weasley, and then ate their pumpkin cake for dessert. Wizards had this weird liking towards pumpkin for some reason.

"So, can't even take your own blood relatives advice?" Muriel said, walking up to Ron after he had finished eating.

"Can't you? Ginny just told you to go die in a bloody well." Ron said. But Hermione didn't disapprove. It was Muriel for god's sake, that woman deserved what she had coming to her. A fiery, hormonal Ginny Weasley.

"UH!" She said as if she was a cheerleader, and dramatically wobbled away. If that was possible.

"Way to handle it." Harry said, walking up to Ron.

"Mate, you can't even handle my sister." He said, teasing him as if Harry wasn't macho enough.

"I told you! It's like trying to tame a freaking dragon." He said.

"Go talk to Charlie about that. He's tamed lots of dragons." Ron said, turning Harry's last statement against him. Harry just gave Ron the Screw-You look, and walked away. It was very awkward when Ginny was sitting next to Charlie, crying.

"Maybe he really is a dragon tamer…" Harry mumbled under his breath and walked over to them. "You okay Gin?" He asked, putting an arm around her.

"Yeah," She said sniffling. "I'm okay now." She said, hugging Harry for some odd reason. He looked over her shoulder and mouthed to Charlie.

"What'd you do?" He mouthed to him.

"You have no idea." He whispered back, shaking his head along with the words. Harry just soothed Ginny as she cried into his shoulder.

"Ginny dear, why are you crying?" Mrs. Weasley said, walking over.

"I don't know mum!" She said, in between sobs.

"Is it…" She asked, pointing at Harry. He shook his head. "Then who…" She asked and Harry shook his head. He didn't know, well, nobody knew except Charlie. Maybe not even him.

Harry then brought Ginny up, knowing that the best man and maid of honor speeches were due in five minutes. They walked over to the main table, where the close family sat. Almos exactly five minutes later, glasses started clinking and Harry stood up.

"You know, I've known Ron for a while, since first year where I met him at Kings Cross. I only knew him for about twenty minutes, before he met Hermione." This was the part where Ron and Hermione looked at each other. "She walked in because Neville had lost Trevor, his toad. Ron had incidentally been trying to do magic, and Hermione wanted to see. I can't recall the whole spell but I know someone who might." Harry said, waving his hand in cue for George to stand up. Not just stand up on his legs, stand up on the table.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my brother," It took him a minute to say it. "Fred…..and I had decided to play a little joke on our little Ronikins over there. He used to have a rat named Scabbers, who was really an old friend of the Potter's but moving on…" He said. "We gave him a spell that we said would turn Scabbers the rat, yellow. And the spell went a little like this." Ron had his face buried in his face by then in humiliation.

"Sunshine daises butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow." George sat, dancing with every word.

"Thank you George, but I think you can sit down now." Mrs. Weasley spoke up. "Go on Harry."

"Well, he and Hermione fought with me, even though they had a choice. Ron played a mean game of Wizard's chess, and Hermione, being the nerd she was, memorized a line the Herbology book. We went through the years together, and united as ever. In second year, Hermione got petrified by the basilisk, and then Ron and I saved my girlfriend, Ginny, from Tom Riddle. Third Year, Hermione had some very important time on her hands and Ron broke his leg. Fourth year, they were both in the second task of the Triwizard tournament, even though Hermione was Viktor Krum's person to save and Ron's was mine. They were both too stubborn to admit they loved each other."

"Fifth year, feelings unraveled for many of us. Another fight, which they both helped me with, along with many other people. Sixth year, it was a fight. Ron got together with Lavender, who is coincidentally dating who my girlfriend Ginny was dating at the same time Ron was dating her. If that makes any sense." Harry said. "Well, anyway, Hermione got very jealous, as did I. You could say we were the jealous best friends out to ruin their crush's boy/girlfriend's life."

"Dumb it down man!" George yelled out.

"George, I'm sorry but everyone else seems to understand it and you're the only one." Harry called out. "Well, then we went on our search for things which we were on about two years back. We had to sleep in sleeping bags and more often than not, I would find them both next to each other, nearly holding hands." He said.

"Hang in with me I got like thirty seconds left." Harry said. "So then they kiss right in the middle of the battle, perfect time to realize their feelings for each other. And their relationship had progressed into this marriage and I sound like a sappy guy but I am so happy for you two and to the happy couple!" Harry said, raising his glass.

"To the happy couple!" They all said, and drank. Ginny stood up and then all eyes were on her, but for a speech this time.

"I have a couple things to say before I start the speech. One: Muriel is officially out of the building, so let's get a little cheer going on there." Everyone started to clap, and Mrs. Weasley looked like she disapproved. "And two: I'm not going to go into deep emotions like my dear boyfriend has done tonight. I met Hermione my first year at Hogwarts, her second. We automatically became friends. While she stayed at the Burrow, she would sleep in my room. We would have late night talks and all that good stuff. But she couldn't even go two minutes without saying how obnoxious, how rude, and how insensitive my brother is. She once even described it as if he had the emotional range of a teaspoon." Ginny said.

"So then years went on, and her constant complaining, grew into a little crush. She would ask my how to get Ron to notice and I would ask her the same for Harry. But we both said the same thing; be yourself. And look where that got us huh?" She said, motioning towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "If you would join me to raise your glass in honor of the newlywed couple." She said. "To Ron and Hermione."She said, nearly chugging the entire glass as everyone took a sip.

"Nice Gin." Harry said.

"Right back at you." Ginny said back. They all danced the night away, and as for Hagrid and Ginny, they drank the night away.


	14. Chapter 14: Hungover

Chapter 14

"I need that damn potion!" Ginny screamed from the bathroom. Night before, time of her life, morning after, mistake of her life. She was sitting at the edge of the toilet's rim, hoping that she wouldn't vomit once again. But before she knew it, she was gracefully bringing last night's dinner back into the world.

"Two more minutes." Harry said, rubbing her back. They were in their flat, in which they moved into two months before the wedding.

"It's your bloody fault you didn't stop me." She said, after another round of vomit washing through her.

"You were about to kill Muriel, why would I stop you?" He said.

"Because your innocent girlfriend wouldn't then be getting sick in front of you, after she nearly killed her own aunt and drank the entire Pacific ocean last night." She said.

"It's fun while it lasts hun. Muggles go through this with no potion, so for a minute, could you just be a bloody muggle?" He asked.

"Sure. I'll go read those stupid books that are about Witches and Wizards, and how they fight evil like all those crazy muggles too." She said, sarcastically.

"Those do mock our kind very much so." He said. "You have ten more seconds." Harry said.

"Finally!" She said, tilting her head back.

"Until the cauldron is ready for me to brew the potion." He finished his sentence, and sliding out the door. "Love you Gin." He called out.

"WHAT! That bloody potion isn't even brewed yet! That thing takes hours! Oh no…." She said, getting sick once more. She then heard a little voice in the back of her head; it said 'I told you that you should've stopped drinking.' It teased. "SHUT UP!" She yelled back loudly.

"Say something Gin?" Harry asked, while he stirred twelve times clockwise.

"No. Nothing." She said, resting her head on the side of the bathtub, and drifting off to sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Happy now?" Harry asked, handing her the potion.

"Not yet Potter." She said, gulping the thing down. It took a good ten seconds before Ginny was Ginny again. "I'm good now. Thanks." She said, handing him back the cup.

"Good comes to the ones who wait." He said, while Ginny brushed her teeth.  
"Really, cause' I'm pretty sure you waited a while for a girl…." She said, walking up to him, swaying her hips. "And you got me, and you know I'm not good….." She said, pressing her body to his. He licked his lips, and she then kissed him full on the lips. Such passion and thirst, you could tell that they both wanted it. He began to kiss his neck, making her feel pleasure. He ripped off his shirt, and she took off hers. He moved her over to the couch, and she fell on top of him. They continued on until the sun rose the next morning.

"Gin, I gotta go into the office." He said, kissing her cheek.

"Office! Work! SHIT!" She said, getting up quickly.

"What's wrong Gin?" He asked.

"I had to be at practice half an hour ago!" She said. "Late to the first practice doesn't set a good first impression." She said, throwing clothes around the room. "Where the hell are my Quidditch robes?" She said. She found them slung over the chair, right where she put them the night before.

"Gin…." He said, but she cut him off.

"Harry, I don't care right now. All I care about is actually getting to practice not that late." She said, grabbed all her stuff. "Bye. Love you." She said, kissing his cheek and apparating on the spot.

"Love you too." He muttered. Ginny landed in the locker room, and put all her stuff away. She practically sprinted to the pitch, and was confused when all she saw, was the stands. It was just her on the pitch. She then walked up to her boss's office, who she sat there, reading some book.

"You're here early Ginevra." She said.

"It's Ginny, and I thought practice started forty five minutes ago." She said, sitting down. Gwenog just laughed.

"That's what the team does to a newbie. The say practice is really early, and more often than not, they come late." She explained. Ginny just tilted her head back, and laughed.

"Harry's gonna kill me." Ginny laughed.

"Why is he going to kill you? Did he tell you that it started at ten or something?" She asked.

"I'm guessing he was about to." She said. "I just didn't let him tell me."

"Oh, yeah. You're gonna get it." She said. "So practice doesn't start for an hour, so you can go shoot on goal or just go and hang in the locker room." She said.

"I think I'm gonna go and shoot for a while." She said, standing up. She was really going to the locker room, she just didn't want to seem like she was as lazy as she really was. She walked into the locker room, and she walked over to the fireplace. She called Harry, and he picked up, a smug look on his face.

"So." He said. "What's happening?" He asked.

"You knew and you didn't tell me." She said.

"I tried, but have fun on your first day Gin. I have to go and do Ron's work. Bye." He said, shutting down the floo call.

"I have the best boyfriend." She said, sarcastically.

"I know, I played with him." Katie Bell, said as she walked into the locker room.

"Katie. I didn't know you played here." Ginny said.

"This is my first year as a starter, I was back up for Yurly last year but she left." She said. And Ginny just nodded. "So, it's you, I, and Patricia as chasers this year." She said.

"And I am here everyone!" Patricia walking into the room. "And you would never guess who proposed last night!" She squealed.

"Oh my god! He did?" Katie asked.

"He did!" Patricia squealed.

"Who did what now?" Ginny asked, confused.

"Oliver Wood proposed to me last night." She said. "Oh my god it was so romantic!" She said.

"So how'd he do it?" Katie asked.

"So I wake up from a nap last night, after a loonnnnnngggg day at practice you know? And I find a note on my chest. It told me to go to the place where we met, then to our first date, and so forth. Then it led me to a place where I had no idea what was there, and he just jumped out of nowhere and he was on one knee!" She said. "So he then asked me to marry him, and you already knew what the answer was." She said.

"So, who's your wedding planner?" Katie asked.

"If you don't mind…." She said.

"Oh no. No, No, No. Sorry but you're a pain in the ass when you get annoying." She said.

"Ummmmm, I'll do it." Ginny butted in. "My brother and best friend just had a wedding and I helped her with all the stuff. How different would it be really?" She asked.

"Thanks Ginny. I can tell, you and I are going to be great friends." Patricia asked.

"Ron got married?" Katie asked. "Who actually had the guts to marry Ron?" Katie asked.

"You know who it is Katie. Everyone does." She said. Katie still looked confused. "Hermione, Hermione Granger. The person who would always fight with Ron and all that."

"Oh yeah. She was in my study group."

"But she was a year below you." Ginny said.

"I know. She was still in our study group!" She laughed. "She helped our NEWT scores skyrocket." She explained.

"Well," Ginny said, sitting down on a bench. "That's Hermione for yeah. She wasn't the one really freaking out about her wedding, it was Ron. He wanted everything to be perfect for Hermione. It was quite funny actually." Ginny said.

"Must've been." Katie said, and they all continued to talk until practice started, and they all wished they had never been born.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh. My. God." Ginny said, flopping down on the couch. "I don't know what pissed Gwenog off, but she took it out on us." She said, as Harry made her some tea.  
"That's what captains are supposed to do Gin." He said, handing Ginny her tea.  
"I also told Patricia that I would be her wedding planner." She said. "She's marrying Wood so I thought that maybe I could help him. She looks like she can really be a pain when she gets heated up." She said.

"Wood? You mean Oliver Wood? Old captain to the Gryffindor Quidditch Team? That Wood?" He asked.

"What other Wood do you know?" Ginny asked. "Like a Bloke Wood or something?" She asked.

"I don't know Gin." He said. "So how was practice?" He asked.

"Well, I nearly died. Enough said." She said.

"No, not enough said. Tell me what you did." He said.

"Well, I flew. Did Sit-ups. Push Ups. Crunches. Planks. Tossed the Quaffle A Little, and sprinted three miles. How about you hun?" She asked.

"I did some ummmmm….." He said. "Work." He said.

"Tell me what type of work." She said, teasing him. He just bit his lip, thinking of something to make up. Little did she know, Harry had the week off, and he had been doing other things.

"I had to write an essay. Just turned it into the big boss man." He said.

"Wow. Big Boss Man? You're taller than him." She teased, getting up and kissing him on the cheek. "I'm going to go and say bye to Ron and Hermione. They leave for their honeymoon early in the morning." She said.

"I'll be there in a couple minutes." He said, as she was whisked away into Ron and Hermione's flat, which was surprisingly messy. Ginny walked around all the clothes and finally realized that they were both packing.

"Hey Hermione." Ginny yelled.

"Hey Gin! We're in the bedroom!" Hermione yelled back. Ginny then cautiously began to creep towards the corner. She peered around it, hoping to see nothing.  
"Should I be scared?" Ginny asked.

"No, but Ron packing is pretty scary." She said. "No Ron, we do not need to bring our own light bulbs." She said. Ginny walked into their bedroom, to once again, find everything everywhere.

"Ginny, do you think I should bring my broom?" Ron asked.

"NO!" Both Ginny and Hermione yelled.

"But I'm just saying for transportation reasons…." He said, putting it in the closet, or the space of barely clean floor next to the closet.

"Ron, we are going to Paris. They have a transportation system." Hermione said, packing her stuff.

"You guys finally decided where you wanted to go?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah. Ron's idea." Hermione said.

"What? Turns out that teaspoon got a whole lot bigger." Ginny said. Hermione laughed and continued to pack. "So, when you guys getting back?" Ginny asked.

"Boss let me off for a month." Ron said. "So were going for a week." He said. Ginny was extremely confused.

"So he gave you a month off, and you are just using a week?" Ginny asked. "If Harry and I were taking our honeymoon we would take it off for a month." Ginny said.

"Right you are Gin." Harry said, walking into the room. "I haven't seen your flat this messy since you moved in." Harry said, looking around.

"It isn't my fault." Ron said. "Hermione can't pick out any clothes to wear."

"What makes you think I'm going to be wearing clothes?" Hermione said seductively, looking at Ron.

"Oh God." Ginny said, looking away. Harry was just laughing. "Am I the only one who thinks this is absolutely disgusting?" Ginny asked.

"No. I just think that they are just getting you back for all the times that you said something like that if front of them." Harry pointed out. "And they just wanted to see that face that you made." Harry said.

"Ha Ha. Very Funny." Ginny said, and both Ron and Hermione were smiling. "So we were just coming to say goodbye, and then I'd love to go home and sleep." She said.

"First practice today?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. And it was the hardest practice I've ever had in my entire life." Ginny said. "I nearly died." She said.

"That's nice." Ron said. "So how's the office Harry?" Ron asked.

"Good, Good. We barely have any cases now, so we are practically just throwing stuff at each other. I hit Seamus the other day, right in the back of the head." Harry said, nervously.

"You okay Harry? You seem a little…" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." He said.

"Hey Mate. I have some paperwork for you in the living room." Ron said, leaving the room and gesturing Harry to follow him. They walked behind the corner, and then Ron rounded on him.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked. "Is there something wrong with Ginny?" He asked.

"No. No" Harry said.

"I swear if you got my sister pregnant…." He said.

"No! No!" Harry said. "At least I don't think so." He said.

"You don't think so? So there is a chance?" Ron asked. He looked Harry dead in the eye. "Just tell me that if she is, you will take care of her." Ron said.

"You know I will Ron." Harry asked. "And she's not pregnant, and if she is, I will jump in front of a bus for her."

"Okay mate. So really, what's up?" He asked. Harry looked down at his shoes, and then took a deep breath.

"I'm going to ask Ginny to marry me."


	15. Chapter15:Of Robe Torching & Wrackspurts

**Chapter 15**

"Wait for a sec." Ron said, holding his head. "Did you just say you were going to marry my sister?" He said.

"I said I was going to ask her." Harry said. "Who knows if she is going to say yes." He said. He began to look at Ron, who had begun to pace.

"I mean, you know I'm proud for you and everything. But you know how I am. Protective, crazy, and sometimes just downright insensitive." He said, explaining his obvious character. "Like I said, you just have to promise me you will take care of my sister and will do anything to make her happy." He said.

"Ron, I think I've already said that. I'll jump in front of a bus for her, I'll _die_ for her." Harry said. "My life, isn't my life, without her." He said.

"That's all I needed to hear. Now all you need, is my dad's permission." Ron said.

"I totally forgot about that." Harry said. "He's already given it to me, but it doesn't hurt to ask again." He said.

"When were you planning to do it?" He asked.

"I don't know. I just have the ring right now, had it for a while. I don't even know if I'm doing it soon. I might wait a good four months. And whatever you do, do not tell your wife about this" He said. He felt it was weird to say wife instead of Hermione to Ron. Very strange to him indeed.

"You have my word." Ron said, pulling Harry into a manly hug and slapped his back.

"Hey Harry." Hermione said, walking into the room. "I need your opinion on something." Harry walked into the bedroom, which was vacated because Ginny was talking to Ron.

"Did you just say what I think you said?" She said, a smile on her face.

"What do you think I said?" Harry asked, hoping she didn't know. Hermione, at times, could be an open book. A piggy bank. A terrible secret keeper. You get the picture.

"You know what think you said." She said.

"I really have no idea." Harry said, terribly acting. "Fine. You heard me." He said.

"Yes, I did hear you, and Ginny did too. I would've thought that Ginny would know first." She said.

"What?" Harry asked, very confused.

"Ginny's pregnant." She said. "The news is that she is pregnant." She said.

"No she isn't. I know she isn't, because she just began yesterday." Harry said. Hermione was confused by then, confused about everything.

"So what's the big news then? Since clearly neither you nor Ginny is pregnant, what is it?" Hermione said. Harry had to think of a good lie. A really good lie. He couldn't tell her the truth, which would be bad. But Hermione could tell when someone was lying, because she took something at Hogwarts about how to read people. Harry then began to think about possible theories. 'I'm dying' No. 'I got a promotion.' No. 'I got a raise.' Bingo.

"I got a raise at work." Harry said.

"Oh my god! I'm so happy for you!" Hermione said, hugging Harry. He then sighed in his head, and then put on a smile. He took a glance over at the clock and realized that Ginny would want to be asleep.

"I have to bring Ginny back to our apartment, so I wish you good luck with all the honeymoon stuff, and make sure you take pictures." He said.

"I will, see you when we get back." She said.

"See you." Harry said, walking out of her room, and began to look for his thankfully sober girlfriend. He found her in the living room, passed out on the couch. He walked over to her, and gently began shaking her. He kept shaking and shaking her, but she wouldn't wake.

"That ain't how you do it." Ron said, throwing Ginny on the floor. She then woke up and glared at her brother.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Can't you at least wake me up nicely?" She asked.

"Guess not." Ron said.

"See you later Hermione." Ginny called out to Hermione.

"See you." Hermione responded back.

"Have a good honeymoon." Harry said, biding Ron goodbye and brought both him and his love to their flat. She then walked into the bedroom, and landed on the bed with a thump. She instantaneously fell asleep. Harry showered, got dressed, and then joined her.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"Mum, I'm seventeen. I can do this all by myself." Ginny whined. Ginny and her mother were in Diagon Alley, shopping for new robes. Ginny's robes had been torched by Ginny, who never wanted to see them again. Mrs. Weasley, however, wanted her to have robes always handy.

"It doesn't seem that way if you were smart enough to not light yours on fire." She said. "Now, we have to find out how tall you are." She said, taking out a measuring tape.

"Why can't we do this magically and I already know how tall I am." Ginny said.

"You grow a lot these days honey." Mrs. Weasley said. "And I have wanted to do this the muggle way for years. You needed some, so I will make you some."

"I'm five foot seven and a half mum." Ginny said, cocking her hip. "And why are in Diagon Alley if you are making them yourself?" Ginny asked.

"Because the fabric is here dear." Mrs. Weasley replied. She was really starting to get on Ginny's nerves. And most of the time that wasn't a good thing.

"Ok mum." Ginny said, finally deciding to listen to her mother. She spread her arms to have her mother measure them, but her mother began to measure right below her breasts. "Mum!" She said.

"I need to know how big to make them sweetheart." She said, trying not to get mad at her.

"But couldn't you measure somewhere else?" She asked.

"No." Mrs. Weasley replied, as she triple-checked Ginny's height. "Now to see how much you weigh…" She said, making a scale appear.

"Mum. It doesn't matter how much I weigh when you are making me robes." Ginny said, growing impatient.

"If you want them to fit you do sweetie." She said, putting on a smile. Ginny also put on a fake smile, and continued to work with what little her mother was giving her

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Ginny got home, very frustrated with her mother and happy to see her loving boyfriend. She walked into the kitchen to find no Harry, but a Luna sitting in her kitchen.

"Hi Luna." Ginny said. "Might I ask you how you got in?"

"Harry let me in. He just left because Seamus invited him out for drinks." She explained. "I just came over to tell you that Harry might have a problem with him." She said.

"What do you mean?" Ginny said, taking the seat across from her.

"He has too many wrackspurts in his head. If anymore get in, his head will implode." She said. "It's not good for the mind." She said.

"Oh yeah. That's terrible." Ginny said, pretending like she cared. She sort of did. "We must get him to the doctor immediately." She said.

"Oh no. The doctors have no knowledge or belief of Wrackspurts. You have to dunk his head in a tub on ice water for thirty minutes and the wrackspurts will die when the cold water hit them." She said.

"What about the dead ones? What do we do with those?" Ginny asked, pretending along with Luna.

"Oh those will just fall out of his ears while he is sleeping. No need to worry. They'll just lay there and be dead until someone decides to get rid of them. I like to keep them myself as a collection. If you don't mind, could I have Harry's?" She asked.

"Ummmm, I'll have to check with Harry on that. After all, they are his wrackspurts." Ginny said.

"Oh look at the time. I really must be going, the Crumpled Horned Snorkacks are going to be breeding tonight." She said, walking out.

"It was nice talking to you Luna." Ginny said, as Luna walked out of the apartment and left. Ginny was now alone. Officially alone. Luna had left, Ron and Hermione were on their honeymoon, Harry was out probably having a few fire whiskeys. There was no way she was going to visit her mother after she had repeatedly stabbed her with needles while fitting her robs earlier that day. The only other possible person that she would even barely consider talking to, was her team. But it was the team's day off, and they didn't want to hang out with another teammate. Like they did every other day.

Ginny just then, walked out the door, and began to stroll down the streets of London. She had become used to the muggle life without magic. She had cooked a decent meal without burning it (Tenth times a charm) and she had some muggle money, so she could go and buy muggle things. She had her hands in her jacket, and walked down the street. She passed big department stores, and got a coffee at a local coffee shop. She still was walking when she saw something in a store window, catch her eye.

It was a journal. Ginny had been fascinated by the fact that muggles, kept their secrets in this little journal. She had always wanted something like that, but with magic, there were counter curses and it was easy to open a lock with Alohomora. So she had opted out on the magic diary. Ginny walked in the store, and there was an entire room full of journals. Tiny journals, big journals, pocketbook journals, regular journals, out of the ordinary large journals, and Journals with keys. She looked around for one journal that she had seen before somewhere, and she had seen it in a dream. Maybe she could find something close to it, something that reminds her of it.

Nothing. All the journals were too girly or too muggle-ish to her. She wanted to find this journal so she walked up to the counter.

"Um excuse me." She said. A lady with blonde curls and blue eyes turned around from making a journal.

"Hi." The worker said. Ginny looked at her name tag, and the girl's name was Kellie. "How may I help you?" She asked.

"I was wondering if you had this one specific journal. I've been looking for it everywhere." Ginny said, lying.

"We're the place to go for journals. Now what color would this specific journal be?" She asked, and Ginny told her the works. Color, size, any decorations, stuff like that. They couldn't find anything. They walked back to the counter, and Ginny said thank you. She walked out of the door, and then realized that she had seen the journal, but just passed through it. She walked back in, got the journal, and put it on the counter.

"This is the one you were looking for. See I thought of something else." Kellie said, scanning the journal. "That'll be nineteen pounds please." She asked, getting the receipt as it printed. Ginny took the journal, bid Kellie goodbye, and walked out the shop door. She continued to walk on, until it was almost time to start cooking dinner. She walked home, wrote in her journal, and then made dinner.

 **Two Hours Later**

"Ow Ginny. Please don't." Harry said, as he walked into the bathroom. Harry had been pushed down the road by a drunken wizard, who absolutely had to 'accidentally' push Harry down the street. Harry had scraps all over his body, and most of them had started bleeding. "Why is there ice water in the bathtub?" Harry asked.

"Luna told me something and she wants you to put your head underwater for half an hour to kill all the wrackspurts. At least do this for me." Ginny said. "I don't want that cute head of your to blow up now do I?" Ginny asked.

"Do I even have a choice?" Harry asked, completely ignoring what Ginny had just said.

"No. You don't now, there's the bubble now go sit in there for thirty minutes." Ginny said. "And when you are done, I have some spells in the spell book to help your wounds." She said walking out. Harry got in the bathtub, and was shocked how surprisingly warm he was. Ginny must've put a warming charm on him. He sat there, with his head fully submerged for half an hour, and then Ginny came in.

Harry got out of the tub, and wrapped himself with the towel. "Now what happen to the 'dead wrackspurts'?" Harry asked sarcastically, quoting words using his fingers.

"They just fall out while you are sleeping." Ginny said. "Now come on. I have to get those scars off now." She said, holding out her hand. They both walked to the bedroom, and Ginny took off all the scars off his upper body. Except for the lightning scar, which would always stay. Ginny then motioned for Harry to do something and Harry didn't understand.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Take off your towel. You have other scars you know." Ginny said. Harry then dropped the towel, leaving him baring no clothes.

"I don't have any more Gin." He said.

"I know." Ginny smirked, and then kissed him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you look in this picture?" Ron said, as they went through photographs of their honeymoon.

"Yes." She said, kissing him. "Multiple times." Hermione said. "That's a good one of you." She said, pointing out a picture of Ron in a beret.

"Yeah sure." Ron said, looking through other pictures.

"No, really it is!" Hermione said. "Look. It really is a great picture." She pointed at everything.

"Whatever you say 'mione." He said, kissing her cheek. Both the couples then continued to embrace each other's love, that very same night.


	16. Chapter 16: Cookies

**Chapter 16**

 **3 ½ months later**

It was Christmas Eve, and all the Weasley's and Harry were eating their yearly holiday feast. Ron and Hermione were sitting next to Harry and Ginny, which both couples were secretly holding hands. All the other couples, George and Angelina (Newlyweds and a little baby on the way) Percy and his brand new girlfriend Audrey, Molly and Arthur, and Bill and Fluer. Everyone else had no idea what was happening, except for one man.

"My dear Harry…." Mrs. Weasley said. "How is your job?" She asked.

"Ummmm…" Harry said, thinking about it. "It's better than it used to be. I mean there's less paperwork, because less evil crimes are being committed. Which I think is a good thing." Harry said.

"Of course it's a good thing dear." Mrs. Weasley said, chuckling. "How's the house Ginny dear?"

"It's really good mum." Ginny said. "It's nice to be off, on our own for once. And not to brag, but I know how to muggle cook." Ginny said.

"Muggle cooking is easy dear." Mrs. Weasley said. "You just wait until everything turns black. That's when you know it's ready." She said.

"Mum, that's burning it." Ginny said. "I actually do a lot of things the muggle way. I do the laundry like that; I cook for the two of us and sometime Ron and Hermione. They say it's good." Ginny said.

"Oh Ginny's food is really good." Hermione said. "She handmade this lemonade once. It was so delicious." She said.

"I really liked her chicken." Ron said.

"You must be a very good cook Ginny. If Ron gave you that compliment, you must have made something good." Mr. Weasley added in.

"I've had her food." Angelina piped in. "I had her food when she was learning to do it the magic way. I want to eat her food when she is doing it the muggle way." She said. The rest of the family automatically piped in saying that they wanted to eat Ginny's food. Something that had never happened before.

"Fine." Ginny said. "I'll bake cookies." Ginny said.

"Gin, you don't have to do this." Harry said.

"I have to apparently. And I like to cook, and I feel like I'm actually wanted by my family." She said. "They think I'm good at something." She said.

"Chocolate chip?" Harry asked, giving in.

"I think so." She said. "What type of cookies guys?" Ginny asked.

"CHOCOLATE CHIP!" Ron yelled above everyone else. Everyone then got completely quiet, and all looked at Ron. "What I like chocolate chips! Hermione…" He whined so that way she could save him from his embarrassment.

"Sorry hun. Nothing I can do." She said, patting his arm in sympathy.

"Is Ron okay?" Ginny asked Harry quietly under all the conversation, so only he could hear.

"Yeah, I think so." He said. "He just gets emotional when it comes to his food." He said, stating the obvious.

"Oh yeah. He once took back and ate a doughnut he threw at me." She said. "You know, the ones from Diagon Alley?" She said.

"Yes, Yes. I have been to Diagon Alley." Harry said, mocking her lack of common use of words. She stuck her tongue out at him, and then laid her head on his shoulder, moving closer to him. They then sat there, watching everyone eat and talking about random nonsense.

"Ginny dear, would you like to help me in the kitchen?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I can do it by myself mum." She said, standing up and walking towards the kitchen. "I just need Harry to help me." She said, turning around and into the kitchen. Harry then followed.

"You just verbally slapped your mum in the face." He said. "She just wants to spend time with you. You can't blame her." He said, sitting down on the bar stool.

"I lived with her for eleven years Harry, not even counting the summers." She said, looking for the flour in the pantry. "She should be sick of me." She said.

"You're on your own now Gin." He said, handing her the flour that was clearly on the counter.

"I know that, thanks, but sometimes she just has to let go." She said, thanking him for the flour, and the useless piece of information.

"I'm going to go back to dinner, and I'm sending your mum in here, whether you like it or not." He said, walking out.

"Harry, No! God…." She said, pushing her hair back. She couldn't have this conversation with her boyfriend, let alone her mum. This was going to be interesting. Mrs, Weasley then walked in, and Ginny smiled.

"You wanted to see me dear?" She said, walking over to the counter next to Ginny.

"Um yes. Would you like to help me bake?" She asked, letting her heart take over her mind. She wanted her mum to be happy, and she wanted to go slap the smirk off her boyfriend's face. She knew that smirk, and it was his I-told-you-so look.

"Oh Ginny, I would love to." She said, picking up the chocolate chips, Ron's favorite. "I know why you don't understand dear." She said.

"Don't understand what?" Ginny asked, looking up from the pantry. She was squatting down, looking for the items on the lower shelf.

"Me wanting to spend time with you." She said, adding the flour into the big, gigantic bowl Ginny had set out. "You'll get what I mean when you send your first born child off to Hogwarts."

"Then why did you all of a sudden just want to spend time with me? You weren't like this during the summers in-between school years." Ginny said.

"I'm just realizing that my little girl, isn't my little girl anymore." She said. "You're all gone, so is Ron and everybody else. I'm just lonely, that's all."

"You have Dad." Ginny said, putting the other ingredients in the bowl.

"He's gone half of the day dear, and I have two people to cook for. Including myself." She said. "It just feels empty here."

"I understand that, but isn't it nice being alone with Dad? No hormonal teenagers, no pranks, no more injuries…."

"I won't miss that dear. I miss the family dinners we had, just the nine of us." She said.

"That's not impossible mum." Ginny said, mixing the ingredients.

"Just the nine of us dear, that is quite impossible." She said.

"No mum. All we need is you, dad, me, Ron, Charlie, Bill, George….." Ginny said, remembering of her lost brother. She had always known that he was gone, but she got over it by knowing that he is watching her up from Heaven. The feelings then came slowly coming back, inch by inch.

"Ginny, I look like I might be fine, but I'm not dear. I miss him very dearly & I talk with him every day." She said. "It's hard to loose on of your own children. Hopefully you won't have to go through it."

"How long did it take you to, you know, get a hold of yourself?" Ginny asked.

"A while. I took a hard hit, because I thought I had lost Harry, one of my sons, also. So it was a very difficult time for me. One of the hardest times in my life." She admitted.

"It's all okay now mum." Ginny said, hugging her mum.

"I love you dear." She said, saying the words quietly.

"Love you too mum." Ginny said, letting go. "Time to add the chocolate chips." She said, walking towards the bowl. She must've said it too loudly, because she could've sworn she heard a "YES!" from inside the dining room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Oh my god Ginny." Ron said, melting into the cookie. Almost literally. "These are amazing."

"Yeah Ginny, you're really good." Angelina said.

"That must be a good compliment Gin, coming from a picky pregnant woman like her." George said, eating one himself. "You know I'll never be able to stop." He said, while Angelina gave him the stop look.

"I know, just I'd be nice if you would." She said, patting his leg.

"Angie, we all wish that, but it's never gonna happen." Ginny said, adding in on their little loud conversation.

"Hermione, you should eat one." Ron said, giving her one.

"Ron, I told you. I already had one." She said, looking at him. He looked at the cookie, looked back at her, and then the cookie again.

"Have another one." She smirking and just let Ron hold the cookie. He would've eaten it either way. And sure enough, he ate it three minutes later.

"I think that Ginny deserves a medal or certificate of some type for these cookies." Bill said.

"Of co'rse." Fleur agreed.

"Yeah." Everyone chipped in. Harry just sat there next to Ginny, holding her hand. He felt his pocket, checking that it was in there. Tonight was the night, tonight was the night he would ask Ginny to marry him. He was nervous, but excited at the same time. When he was young, he had always wanted a family of his own, and a wife to share it with. And he had found that girl, and he was holding her hand.

The Weasley family and others then sat there, enjoying each other's company. Harry speaking up every now and then. Ron was a main talker, so was Ginny. Well, Ginny was the main talker, and Ron would disagree with whatever she said. Typical brother sister relationship.

"No Ron!" Ginny said. "That is not what happened!" She said.

"Oh yes it was. She purposefully poured spaghetti down my shirt a couple weeks ago!" He exclaimed.

"It's called accidentally Ron." Ginny said. "And you ran into me! I was walking and then you just were being Ron, and ran into me!" She said. Harry and Hermione kept trying to tell the real story, but they kept cutting them off.

"Gin….."

"Harry, I am trying to tell Ron a story here!" She said. "So Ron, you turned the corner and clearly saw me coming. You then stupidly decided to just run into me!"

"No, No, No." Ron said.

"Oh yes, yes, yes." Ginny said, mocking Ron. They then kept fighting back and forth, and the family watched it like it was a tennis match. More yelling and more talking, and more ignoring.

"RON!" Hermione yelled. "You two need to stop arguing." She said. "I know you might not particularly like that, but it's Christmas Eve. Can we at least be good for one night?" She asked.

"Fine." Both Ron and Ginny, agreed stubbornly.

"Sorry Ron." Ginny said, looking at Ron.

"Sorry Ginny. You know I'm just a little….." Ron said, trying to find the word.

"bit of my brother." She said. Some people 'awwww'd at the sweet comment. "Truce?" She asked.

"Truce." He said. The conversations went on, no fighting or anything. Then Harry decided, this is the time.

"Hey, Gin." He whispered. "Follow me." He said, standing up, still holding her hand. They both put on their sweaters, warming charms, and boots. They walked in the snow and stopped at the broom cupboard.

"Put this on." He said, handing her a blindfold that she couldn't seen anything out of. He had double checked. She put it on, tying it in the back. He then guided her onto the back of the broom, and told her to hold on tight. He took off, going through the wind.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"You'll see." He said, smirking. He landed in the snow covered secret area, two minutes later. He helped her off her broom, and letting her hand go.

"You can take it off now." He said. She took it off to find Harry, down on one knee, a ring box, open in his hand.

"Ginny, you are the most beautiful, amazing, gorgeous, kick ass woman I have ever met. And I can't even stand to think of a life without you. Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you marry me?" He asked.

"Yes."


	17. Chapter 17: Beautiful

**Chapter 17  
**

She grinned, as he slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. She then nearly tackled him in a big hug.

"I love you so much." He said, after he had kissed her.

"I love you too Harry." She said, kissing him again. "You know, this is the best Christmas. Ever." She said.

"I figured it was." He said, smirking and kissing her once again.

"And Harry, this ring is beautiful!" She said, looking at the ring.

"It was my mum's." He said, taking her hand into his and examining the ring. It was simple, just liked Ginny liked it. The band was gold, and a diamond set in the middle. On each side of it, two small emeralds on each side.

"Anyway, its perfect." She said, hugging him. "You know, we have time." She said, running her finger down his cheek. He tensed up, and looked at her, and she was smiling.

"Why is it always you that say that? Isn't it supposed to be the guy asking for sex?" He asked.

"Are you saying that you don't want to?" She asked, acting innocent. And Harry knew he she wasn't innocent. At all.

"I want to. Definitely want to but…" He said, but she interrupted.

"Then why don't we? It doesn't matter." She said, pressing her body against his. Harry thought about it for a minute, coming to conclusion.

"You're just too bad." He said, kissing her passionately.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Where have you two been?" Hermione asked, as they walked in. They were the only four people in the room. The rest of the family was in the dining room, talking about work or something like that.

"Just took a walk." Ginny said casually, walking into the room. She wondered how long it would take the two of them to notice the ring.

Apparently not that long.

"Ginny." Hermione said, covering her mouth. "Oh my god." She said.

"Yes." Ginny said, grinning. Hermione stood up, ran to Ginny, and tackled her into a hug. Ron just smiled at him, and Harry nodded. Harry was still scared of her brothers, even Ron. He knew, but Harry was bloody terrified.

"Well, I better be heading off." Ron said, standing up. "Meeting up for drinks with Seamus." He said.

"Mind if I tag along?" Harry asked, and then followed Ron out the door & to the Three Broomsticks.

"How did he do it?" Hermione asked, as they both walked outside in the snow. It was a beautiful night.

"Well, first he lead me outside, which we walked over to the broom shed. He blindfolded me, and flew both of us to this beautiful clearing. The waterfall was frozen, as was the lake. The moon & stars were perfectly shining. He then told me to take off my blindfold, and I saw him on one knee." She explained/

"Something else happened that you didn't tell me. I can see it." She said. Ginny blushed, but Hermione didn't know if it was from the cold or from a memory.

"We also had…some fun in the snow." She said.

"That must've been fun." Hermione said, walking up and gently nodding her head. Her hands were in her pockets, even though she had gloves on.

"It was more passionate and romantic than fun. It was really beautiful." She said.

"I bet it was." Hermione said, walking onto another path where the two best friends would continue their journey down the path of life.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Congrats mate." Seamus said, sitting in his bar chair. He, Harry, and Ron, were having a guy's night out. "It's the best feeling ain't it?" He asked.

"What?" Harry asked. "You're dating someone?" Harry asked. It wasn't rude, just curiosity.

"Yeah, you know Lav don't you? I know Ron did, but did you?" He asked.

"I thought she was dating Dean?" Ron asked. "They were at the time of my wedding." He said.

"Well, we're married now. What does that tell yeah?" He asked. You could tell that he had had a couple drinks.

"What happened?" Harry asked cautiously.

"She left him for me. And everyone always told me that if I knew she was too good for me, marry her. So that's exactly what I did, and she said yes." He said.

"How long were you guys dating, before you asked her?" Harry asked.

"About three months, maybe a week or two more." He said. "We were living together and I thought 'Hey, why not?'" He said.

"Wow. Gin and I dated for two and a half years until I proposed. I had always wanted to, but I wanted it to be special yeah know?" He said.

"Yeah, now let's man up with some fire whiskey and pool." Seamus said, slapping his hands on the bar top. "Six fire whiskeys, and don't be shy on the whiskey." He said. Guy's night out, fun as hell, but you pay the price the next morning. Well, some of them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Harry, did you drink _at all_ last night?" Ginny asked him. They had just woken up, and they were both getting dressed.

"One butter beer & one Fire Whiskey. Why?" He asked, trying to comb his hair. He failed.

"If I were you last night, I would've had a lot more than you did." She said, sliding on her shirt.

"Yes, but I'm actually smart." He said, sliding on his jeans.

"Haha. Very funny." Ginny said, sliding on her jeans.

"I know already. You don't have to tell me." He said, playing with her words. He had taken after his girlfriend, excuse me, fiancée.

"You are such an arse." She said, buttoning her jeans. "And do not comment on that." She said, knowing he would say something stupid back.

"Why can't I?" He asked. "I have a right to my word." He said.

"Not in my house you don't." She said, putting on her jacket, and taking her hair out of the way.

"Your house?" Harry asked. "Since when has it been your house?" He asked.

"Since I moved in. I am, technically, the owner of the house." She said. "I'm under liability."

"Whatever you say Gin." He said, "I'm off to Christmas." He said, walking towards the door. Ginny just went around, looking for her floo caller, which had gone missing.

"See yeah there." She said. "I'll call you after the meeting." She said, looking for her floo caller.

"Okay Gin. Love you." He said, closing the door before she even had the chance to say goodbye. She just shrugged it off, considering that she was going to be seeing him in a couple hours. Or so she thought.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So mate, excited to the family about you and Gin?" Ron asked, trying to makes small talk. Without Hermione, it was just awkward.

"Yeah, totally." He said, sarcastically.

"Sarcasm." Ron said.

"No shiz Merlin." Harry said, walking away towards Hermione, who was just standing there, drinking her butter beer.

"Telling the family tonight huh?" She said, drinking her hot chocolate.

"Yeah, Gin's absolutely bloody terrified." Harry said. "I should be the one who is bloody terrified. Her brother's are going to corner me." He said.

"That's just too bad for you Harry." She said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to go talk to Molly if you don't mind." She said, brushing her way past him. He was then, left alone. In a room. Full of the Weasley brothers. Great.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hello everyone." Gwenog said, walking into the meeting room. The long table was enough to house our team, with one extra seat in case for new recruits. "Sorry I'm a little late. Mum just couldn't get her bloody hands off me." She said. Ginny just sat wanting this meeting to be longer, and Gwenog not show up for another two hours. She was scared that her family wouldn't except Harry, especially her brothers.

"Now, we are here to discuss the items on the agenda. Item A is, the scheduele for the second half of the season. Patricia." She said, motioning for Patricia to stand up.

"Happy to." She said, standing up and straightening out her skirt. She was most likely to be going to a family thing too. The team never wore skirts, so that was saying something. Ginny was wearing dark jeans, so she was surprised the rest of the team had worn skirts. "First we have the Chudley Cannons in February, easy win. Then Puddlemere United early March. Also in March, Ireland on the 27th. And lastly, Bulgaria on April 14th." She said.

"Any questions on the line up?" Gwenog asked, and Katie spoke up.

"What about those French? We haven't played them yet." She said.

"They have moved down a league." Captain answered. "No more questions? Okay, moving on Next item on the agenda, holiday bonuses." She said, putting down the paper on the table.

"I have all your Christmas Bonuses here." Katie said, standing up and passing them out. Ginny looked over at Patricia's and she looked at the number. It was bigger than she thought anyone would get, even Gwenog. Then, she started to talk again.

"Umm Gwen?" Ginny awkwardly asked said, interrupting her. "I never got mine." She said.

"I must've left it in my office. Talk with me after the meeting." She said, going onto her point in which Ginny had interrupted. Ginny just sat there, hiding her total misery and boredom. The meeting went by rather slowly, playing in Ginny's part. She had always wanted Harry to ask to marry her, but she had always been scared about telling the family. Her team already knew, which was like her second family.

Every time that clock ticked, it seemed like an hour. The meeting was long. Long enough for the seeker, Michelle, to almost fall asleep. But Gwen woke her up, with a light slap on the face. Simple team rules, don't fall asleep in meetings.

"And that is it. Meeting is dismissed, and have a good holiday everyone." She said, as people got up. "Practice starts in two weeks!" She yelled over the chatter and pitter patter of the girls heels clicking.

"About my bonus…" Ginny asked, standing there, playing with her hands.

"Oh yes, to my office." She said, walking out. Ginny was wearing high heels, which also clicked when she walked. She was wearing a nice burgundy sweater, with her dark jeans and heels. They matched quite nicely. She followed Gwenog, without saying a word. All that could be heard was the faint sounds of the heating system and the clicking of the heels. They arrived at Gwenog's office two minutes later, and Ginny sat down in the same chair she did when she was 'late' to her first day. "Your's I purposefully left behind, and before you ask why, I am going to tell you." She said.

"Okay…." Ginny said, not knowing what was going to happen, and if was going to be good or bad.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back at the Weasley house, Harry was sitting in the chair impatiently.

"She is taking forever." Hermione said, saying Harry's exact thoughts. "Where is she?" She asked, taking a sip of her red wine. Very sophisticated.

"At a meeting for her team." He answered.

"How you feeling?" She asked, trying to make small talk. "Nervous much?" She asked, looking at Harry, who was practically jumping out of his seat.

"You have no idea how I feel. I have to try and talk with her brothers, which are probably going to have Christmas Day Massacre.'" He said.

"It's all going to be okay." She said reassuringly. "I was fine when I married Ron." She said, not thinking about who Harry was getting married to.

"It's Ginny though." He said, pushing his hair back. "She's the only woman in this family, except for Mrs. Weasley and the people that married into the family. She's the baby of the family, and everyone wants to make sure she's happy. So therefore, I am going to be held responsible for her happiness." He said.

"I see your point." She said, gesturing her hand and the wine glass. "But you have to live through it."

"I don't know if I can." He admitted.

"You're Harry freaking Potter!" She said, exclaiming his name. "But are also kind, honest, brave, & able to stand up to his girlfriend's brothers!" She said.

"Fiancé." Harry corrected her.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Fiancé." She said, correcting herself. "Look on the bright side. In a couple months, you'll have a beautiful bride to come home to." She said.

"Yeah, I guess so." He said, leaning back in his chair. He then began to think of anything and anything that could happen on that night

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	18. Chapter 18: Conversations

**Chapter 18**

"So what I am saying is," Gwenog said to Ginny. Ginny was trying to keep a straight face, but she couldn't help but smile. "Since I am unable to fill the Captain position now, I feel as if you are the next best to be in that position."

"Me? Really?" Ginny asked. She was surprised that she was picked, other the other people that had been on the team for a couple years. She had only been on the team for six months. "I'm honored." She said, beaming. She hadn't thought about it. In a million years. Her? Her being the captain of the Holyhead Harpies. Who would've thought?

Apparently Gwenog.

"I am withdrawing from the position on the first day of practice, and you shall take it from there." She said. "When we saw you play in your sixth year, I automatically knew you would be on this team. Congratulations Ginny." She said, shaking her hand, and pulling her into a hug.

"Thanks so much." She said. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"You're very welcome. Now, your bonus is over on my desk. And if you don't mind, I really must be going. Good luck with your family." She said. Ginny hadn't told the team. The only people that knew were her and Harry, and Ron and Hermione.

"How did you…"

"I'm not blind hun." She said, standing in the doorway. "I could see it all the way across the room." She grinned, and then closed the door. Ginny was standing in the office, I'm sorry, HER office. She couldn't believe it was really hers, and that any of this was really happening. She smiled, and then walked out of her office, with her pride in hand.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I'm here." Ginny yelled. Her heels clicked with the hard wood floor, that creaked when she stepped on it.

"Ginny!" Everyone said cheerily, as they hugged her and wished her a Merry Christmas.

"Where have you been dear?" Mrs. Weasley said, hugging her. "We've been waiting for you."

"I was at a team meeting." She replied. She was then scared to tell them, and felt terrified. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't.

"Hey Gin." Harry said, hugging her. "Ready?" He asked, and she cautiously nodded. He led her to the chair, in which she sat down on, and he sat on the armrest.

"Harry and I are getting married!" Ginny yelled, over all the noise. Not how she wanted to tell her family that way, but that's how it went down. And that's how it would be in history forever. Everyone fell silent, and turned to them. Ginny just sighed, and Harry held her hand.

"Ginny dear." Mrs. Weasley said. "What did you say?" She asked.

"Ummmmm…" She said, having to say it in the silence. Not how she had intended it. "I said that Harry and I are engaged." She said, holding her breath.

"Gin, you shouldn't be scared. I'm the one getting the death eye from all your brothers." He whispered, and she never replied. She just watched her family, anxiously waiting there reply. Half a minute had passed, and Ginny couldn't take it anymore.

"What are you guys going to say?" She said. "That you're happy for us? Can't you at least be happy for us?" She asked, crying. She then, got up and ran out of the room. Nobody had said anything.

"Harry dear, I have this." Mrs. Weasley said, walking out and following Ginny. Ginny was crying on the other side of the house, sitting on the snow. Great place to sit Gin. "Ginny." She said, peeking around the corner.

"When Ron and Hermione said that they were getting married, everyone was so happy for them. But of course, I say that I am, and nobody cares." She said, tears running down her face.

"Ginny." Mrs. Weasley said, sitting next to her. Apparently Ginny had charmed it. "It's not that dear." She said.

"Then what is it?" She asked. "Is it Harry?" She asked.

"It's not either of you dear. It's me." She said.

"Then explain why everyone else didn't speak." Ginny said, pushing her hair back. "Why they stayed quiet, when they could've said something."

"We didn't speak, because we realized that our little girl has grown up." She said. "And I know I you think this is unreasonable, but you will understand when your little girl grows up. When the boys got married, they were my boys. I sure was emotional, but there were other boys that I had to marry off. But I only have one girl, and a man that is lucky enough to have her." She explained.

"Yeah. Thanks mum." Ginny said, hugging her mum. "Love you." She said.

"I love you too dear. Now show me this ring before I take it myself." She said, gesturing towards Ginny's hand. Ginny held it up, smiling for the first time, in a long time. "This is beautiful Ginny. Do you have any idea where he got it?" She asked.

"It was his mum's." She answered. "He said that I should have it, because I'm the only woman who could ever be more beautiful than his mum." She said, smiling.

"Yes I did." He said, rounding the corner. "And it is true." He said, sitting next to her.

"You listened to that didn't you?" Ginny asked Harry, looking at him with her chocolate brown eyes.

"What was I going to do?" He smirked. "Let you sit here alone?" He asked, putting an arm around her.

"I'm going to leave you two alone" Mrs. Weasley said, patting Ginny's cheek, and leaving. Harry waited until he heard the sound of the back door, and he then hugged Ginny.

"You know, your mum is a wise woman." He said.

"I'm sure yours was too Harry." She said. "Now, let's go back so I can protect you from my brothers." She said, standing up, and taking Harry's hand. They both then walked back to the sitting room, and the Weasley's were all looking at them.

"Harry." George said with a serious face. His hands were clenched at his sides, which made Harry even more scared than he was before. The fact that George, a former beater, had his hand in punching mode didn't make Harry's stomach feel any better."Can we speak to you in the other room?"

"Yeah sure." He said, letting go of Ginny's hand. Ginny then grabbed his arm and gave him the you-don't-have-to-do-this look and he gave her the I-have-to-if-I-want-to-marry-you look back. She rolled her eyes, and let go him. He then followed them into the dining room. All the Weasley brothers were present, about to beat the pulp out of Harry. Harry then looked around, to see what could stab or wound him. The closet thing he could find was someone smashing a plate, and stabbing him in the heart. But that was the worst he came up with.

"We all knew very well that this day was coming." George started. Apparently he was the 'head brother'.

"And we were all dreading it, just as much as you were." Bill added. "We don't want to have to make this awkward anymore, so we are just going to cut to the chase."

"We all love our sister." Percy added.

"And you have to promise," Charlie said, adding onto what they had said. An on-going chain conversation is you will, as if they had rehearsed.

"That you will never hurt her." Ron said, closing off the switching of people. All brother's had spoken, except for Fred, which was unable to say anything. But everyone knew he was there in spirit.

"I won't hurt her." Harry said. "I promise." Harry said, hands in his pockets.

"That a boy." The brothers then came in, and manly hugged Harry.

"Now we better get back, or else Ginny is going to think we killed you." George joked, walking out of the room.

"Oh my god." Hermione said to Ginny, as they sat together on the couch. "Harry's alive." Harry then walked over to Ginny, and instead of hugging him, she checked for any sign of injury.

"No bruises, no cuts, no broken bones…." She said, checking Harry's body. "No scars, except for that one." She said, looking Harry up and down for anything that her brother's might have done to him.

"We didn't hurt him Ginny." Charlie said, sitting down. He was the only Weasley without a woman, and he looked happy. Good for Charlie.

"Who are you and what have you done with my brothers?" Ginny asked. "Because I like these ones a lot more." She said, hugging Charlie and her brother's then all came up and hugged her in a huge mob.

"Awww." Hermione said, watching as the family hugged. "The original Weasleys." She said.

"Yeah. Mrs. Weasley." Harry said, nudging Hermione's arm.

"Stop it." She said, shoving him playfully. "I sound like an old married woman." She said, laughing.

"A little like me." Mrs. Weasley laughed, mocking herself. Not typical Mrs. Weasley. She had been a lot more joking lately, maybe trying to ease the tension of everything.

"No not like you Molly." Hermione said. "You just celebrated your 25th birthday didn't you?" Hermione said, and Mrs. Weasley just shook her head.

"Oh yes, I did dear. But I do have a thirty year old child, and that is quite impossible." She said, joking. Hermione then laughed along with her. Harry could've sworn that was the first time Mrs. Weasley made a direct joke to someone. It was a Christmas Miracle.

"I love you guys." Ginny said, getting let out of the big hug. She was emotional today.

"Love you too Ginny." All the brothers said at different times, making it sound like a broken record.

"So everyone's done with announcements then?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "Because dessert is ready." She said.

"I'm not done yet mum." Ginny said, looking at her, and then Harry. Nobody knew about her promotion, only her and Gwen. Harry had a confused look on his face, and Ginny then began to talk. "I was at the meeting today, and I had a little talk with Gwen. And she has told me that I am, the new captain of the Holyhead Harpies." She said, a smile across her face, and it also spread to Harry's and almost everyone else's.

"Oh my gosh Ginny!" Hermione squealed, running up and nearly tackling Ginny. "I'm so happy for you!" She said, rocking them back and forth.

"Wow Ginny." Ron said. "Now the Cannons don't stand a chance." He said, hugging her.

"Well, they don't stand a chance either way." She said, lightly tapping Ron's cheek. She then got the rest of her congratulations, getting lots of hugs from everyone, mostly from Mrs. Weasley. But she had saved Harry for last.

"Oh my gosh Gin!" He said, hugging her. "I am so proud of you!" He praised.

"Really?" She asked.

"Are you kidding?" He asked, kissing her quickly. "Insanely proud. Now how much does it pay?" He asked, and Ginny slapped him.

"It's called a joke Gin." He said, his hands surrendering and laughing.

"Not funny." She said.

"I thought it was hysterical." Ron butted in. "And I have to admit, I am pretty hard to impress."

"Yes, you are." Hermione said. "Very hard." She said.

"Hey!" He said.

"Hey, you said it." Hermione said, as he put his arm around her waist. They then walked off together, leaving Harry and Ginny alone in the living room. The night went along smoothly, passing around presents, with lot of hugs and kisses from everybody to anybody.

"Good night huh?" Harry asked, as they sat on the couch, his arm around her shoulders. She was leaning against his chest.

"Great night."


	19. Chapter 19: Gold & White

**Chapter 19**

 **16 Days Later….**

"Ginny dear, are you sure you want gold and white for your wedding?" Mrs. Weasley asked. They were planning the wedding, to Ginny's dismay. The two women were in the room, and only one wanted to plan the wedding. And it wasn't the person who was getting married.

"Yes mum." Ginny said, her elbow on the table, and her hand pushing her hand back. "Harry and I talked about it. We are sure that we want gold and white."

"But that's what I was going to do for Percy's wedding dear." She said.

"He's not even engaged yet!" Ginny said. "And we clearly said that we want gold and white."

"But…"

"Mum." Ginny said, interrupting her. "I only get to get married once. You know that. And I want it to be our special day, not yours okay?" She asked.

"Oh." She said. Ginny could see she was saddened by what she had said. "Okay."

"No mum, I didn't mean it like that." Ginny said. "I meant that I wanted you to help, just wanted you to follow what we wanted, and put in your opinion. Not take over it, and make everything yours."

"I get what you are saying dear." She said. "I know I came on too strong, and we will do it your way."

"Thanks mum." She said. "We have the colors down, and Fleur is coming over tomorrow to help with the dress, so all we have to do is the decorations." She said.

"All we have to do? Dear we have the place settings, the candles, the centerpieces, the flowers….." Ginny mentally screamed at her mother as she listed off the things they needed to do for the wedding.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey Gin, how's the wedding planning coming?" Harry asked, pouring her tea into her cup. Ginny just groaned, and he handed her her tea. "Guessing not well."

"Not well? It's not just 'not well' it's terrible!" She said. "Mum keeps saying that I need to change the colors, because that's what she picked out for Percy's wedding."

"But Percy isn't even engaged." Harry pointed out.

"That's what I said!" Ginny yelled. "But then I told her off, and I thought she agreed with me. She even said that she did. But apparently, she forgot about that entire day, and keeps nagging me about it. I swear, I want to hex her into the century."

"Trust me." He said. "I know the feeling."

"But…"

"I know what you are going to say. But your parents are dead, how would you know?" He said. "But everyone is always like 'you're Harry Potter. You shouldn't be hanging out with people like them. You should be hanging out with a higher ranked wizard' But you know what I tell them?" He asked.

"What?" She asked.

"I always tell them, that you are the higher ranked wizard. And they always argue with me saying you aren't. But at the end, I always say this quote. 'You have your opinions, I have mine. You think that those people are high ranked wizards, but you are mistaken.'"

"That's so sweet." She said, stroking his cheek. They then, heard a knock on the door. "Ugh."

"Your mum?" He asked, standing up with her.

"I don't know. I just didn't want to get up." She said, walking towards the door. She opened it, and Hermione stood there, tablecloth samples in hand. "Oh my god….." She said.

"Before you say anything, it's not me who chose to come over here. Your mother sent me over and she wants this done so we can move on to the other stuff." She said, walking in and Ginny shut the door.

"Why do weddings have to be so complicated? Can't I just get a white dress, get Harry a tux, a minister, and two rings?" She asked.

"Yes, but you know how important this is for your mum." She said, sitting down at the table and flipping over one of the samples.

"Yeah, I know. And don't get me wrong, I want to get married. But I never knew how hard all the planning, and decorations and all that was going to be." Ginny complained. Harry had gone off to their room, to put away their clothes. He'd rather not get sucked into wedding planning, as did every other man in the universe.

"But in the end," Hermione said, sitting down. "You will have a day you will never forget, and a husband that you will come home to every single day for the rest of your life. What more could you ask for?" She asked.

"Another wedding planner." Ginny said, her left hand on her face, flipping through the samples with the other. "I like this one." She said pointing to this one. The fabric was off-white, and there were two gold lines on the bottom. Simple, yet elegant. Just what they wanted.

"That's gorgeous." Hermione said, looking at it.

"I know." She said. "So that's done, now we can relax." She said, leaning back in her chair.

"Not quite Ginny." She said, reaching into her huge purse. Hermione barely ever carried a purse, let alone a big one. Why hadn't she seen this coming?

"Seriously?" She asked, as she placed them all on the table. She had napkin samples, placemat samples, and silverware samples. Why did it matter what type of silverware they had? It ended up in people's mouths anyways.

"What do you want to start with?" She asked, patting her hands on the table.

"The stuff I can throw out." She said, practically rejecting the samples.

"You won't throw away the stuff from your wedding Ginny. Ron and I kept almost everything. We kept the plates, the silverware, napkins, everything." She said.

"Fine." She said, looking over them. "This one."

"That's nice." Hermione said, looking over. "It'd even be nicer if it wasn't the lunch napkin you used today." She said, pushing it towards Ginny.

"You can't go wrong with these!" She said, shaking the napkin around. "They're cheap. They're effective. And nobody really cares what type of napkin they use at our wedding." She said.

"Yes, they are. But your family wouldn't approve."

"Well screw my family!" She said, looking through some samples. She then found one and pointed to it. "I like this one. I want this one." She said.

"Okay." She said, unhinging that sample and putting it in the pile.

"What's next?" She asked, putting her hands on the table.

"Silverware, centerpieces, and flowers." She said, getting the rest of the samples out. There were literally twenty sample books in which they had to go to.

"We don't want that many flowers everywhere." I said. "We talked it over, and we just want the occasional lily in the reception, and my bouquet made of lilies." She said.

"Okay, I like the way you think." She said, throwing the books back into her purse. "I just wish I had known that before I walked ten minutes with this on my shoulder."

"You should've called first." She said, flipping through some more samples.

Oh god the samples.

"Sorry, I forgot." She said, looking along with Ginny. "You said that you wanted silver right?" She said, as they went through the platinum section.

"Isn't all silverware silver? Hence the 'silver' in the name of silver-ware." She said.

"No, there's gold, copper, platinum gold, platinum silver…" She said, but Ginny cut her off.

"Silver, I think will be nice." She said, stopping Hermione from all the flipping of the different kind of silverware. "Those are nice. I want those."

"Ginny, you just can't pick the first thing you see and say that you like it." Hermione said.

"I don't!" Ginny said. "I really like them. And that's what I want for my wedding." She said.

"Okay, whatever you say Ginny….." Hermione said, pulling out another book of samples, that Ginny and her would slave over, until both were too tired to do so.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Guest list." She said, literally throwing a pad of paper and a pen at Harry, who had been sleeping on the couch.

"Wha-what?" Harry said, shaking his head, and putting on his glasses. "Gin, I had a long day at work and I really need to…"

"I need to get this done Harry. We need to get relief!" She said. "We haven't even set a date yet, and mum is already obsessing about thank you for coming gifts! Harry, I am stressing out, I really need to…" She said, collapsing onto Harry chest.

"It's okay Gin." He said, stroking her hair. "We'll get through this, I know we will." She then curled up in his chest, and stayed there.

"May 21st." She said, randomly. "May 21st. That's the day I want to get married." She said, sitting up.

"If you don't mind me asking, what made you choose that date?" He asked.

"I don't know. I just always felt like that would always be the day I would get married. I never really thought of it any other way." She explained.

"May 21st, at the Burrow, starting at…."

"Five."

"Okay, starting at five." He said. "And all the guests, in which we have to invite." He said, looking at the pad of paper in which had been thrown at him. And then to the stack of wedding invitations, that sat in the corner of the room.

"We should really get going on these Harry. How about we just do them tonight, and then we can go to bed?" She asked.

"I'd like that." He answered.

"You know what we promised each other." She said. "No sex until the wedding." She said.

"And Gin, the wedding is four months away." He said.

"I know." She said, seeing the torture in his eyes. Apparently he couldn't see the torture in hers.

"Just saying." He said, writing out the first name to the guest, the first of many.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hi Fleur." Ginny said, as she stood on the doorstep of her childhood home. Soon to be the sight of her marriage to Harry James Potter. She still couldn't believe it.

"'Ello Ginny." She said. "Come 'n" She said, opening the door more so she could step in.

"Do you have the fabric and everything?" Ginny asked, and Fleur nodded. "Excellent. So this will only take about an hour, maybe a little more."

"Yes. On'y hour." She said, as Ginny stood up on the table. Fleur then began to work her magic on the dress, literally and also non-literally. Ginny had chosen a smooth white fabric, with some cream ribbon to use on the outside. But she had no idea what Fleur was going to do with it.

"Ginny. You look beautiful." Hermione said, observing the dress. It was strapless, a simple straight cut across, and it flowed down to the table, moving with the air.

"I know. It's perfect." She said, partially spinning. "Thanks so much Fleur."

"An'time." She said. "No' I mus' get back. Bill is alone 'nd doesn' like to be." She said, laughing as she walked out and disapparated.

"You know, she's not as bad as I thought she was." Ginny admitted. "All that Fleur talk was just rubbish." She said.

"I knew that." Hermione smirked.

"You knew and you didn't tell me?" Ginny asked. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked.

"Because I wanted to see how long it would take you to get past your own thoughts and look into reality."

"Thanks Hermione." Ginny said. "Now, help me get this off." She said, standing and trying to get down.

"Don't move, or you will ruin the dress." She said.

"And what do you think I will do? Fly down the aisle?"


	20. Chapter 20: Crumpled Papers

**Chapter 20 Crumpled~Up Paper**

"Did you know that a month from today, we will be getting married?" Ginny asked Harry. They were in their flat, cuddling up on the couch, her feminine body leaning against his broad chest. She was gently tapping her fingers on the top of his hand, which was grasped with hers.

"Time flies by fast doesn't it?" He asked, watching as each one of her fingers, tapped down on his skin. "Seems like just yesterday I got back together with you, seeing little Teddy. And now here we are, sitting in our own flat, set to get married in a month."

"Have you ever wondered what would've happened if you didn't kiss me that night?" She said, looking up at him. "I've always wondered if I'd still be with Dean, and you would still be with Cho." She said.

"I haven't really thought about that. And just to clarify, Cho and I would definitely be broken up. And anyways, I've had other things to think about." He said.

"Oh yeah. Like Quidditch stats and the score of how many times Ron has made the crumpled up piece of paper into the rubbish bin." She said. "Sounds like you've had so much on your mind." She said.

"That's not all we do." He said. "We throw paper airplanes too." He said.

"Are you serious?" She said, gently slapping his arm.

"No. We actually do work; we just do that during lunch." He lied. "And let me tell you, we like lunch a lot more than we do paperwork." He said.

"I bet that's all you do Harry. Playing that game all day long, just sitting there with nothing to do." She said, guessing at what the boys did at work. "Who's winning?" She asked.

"Ron just passed me today. One last shot before boss caught us, and he made it. I get a free shot tomorrow though."

"You boys sure know how to have a good time at work." She said. "For me, work is fun, but beats the hell outta you."

"I bet." He said, playing with her fingers. "You know Hermione keeps bugging me about the tux's. Do you know when they are going to be done?" He asked.

"No idea." She said. "Maybe you should go check, since you are the guy and it is _your_ tux." She said.

"You are taking care of the wedding things. I am just there to marry you and get drunk afterwards." He then received a light, sorry, not so light slap for Ginny.

"You are such a guy." She said, standing up and walking away towards the kitchen. Harry just lifted his hands and said;

"What do you think I am? A woman?"

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Getting close mate." Ron said, leaning back in his chair at work. They both shared the same cubicle, which was magically enlarged and sounded off from the rest of the office. The two sneaky men had put a sound of typing keys to seem like they were working all day. Those sneaky boys.

"I know. It's three weeks away." Harry said, throwing a crumpled up piece of parchment into the bin. "Eat it Ronnikins." He said, boasting about his win with the basketball type game. Harry didn't want to make Ginny feel bad, so he said he was having hard work at his job also. But truth was that he and Ron just played that all day, pretending to work as other tattletale co-workers and the boss walked by. They would just carry on as Seamus or Walters (Ravenclaw year below them) walked by.

"Bloody hell." He muttered. "How did you get so good at this game? I still can't do the backboard shot." He said, referring to the shot where you bounce it off the wall into the basket.

"Try it then." Harry said. "It's not that hard."

"Fine." Ron said, shooting the piece of paper to the wall, in which it made contact with, and fell, onto the side of the trash bin, sticking on the side. "What did I tell you?" Ron said.

"It's gravity man." Harry said. "I can't do anything about it." He smirked, as he knew that he had really charmed the basket, to make all his go in, and Ron's go out. It wasn't cheating, in Harry's eye. He just wanted a good lead before he undid the spell. He was too stubborn to admit that Ron was, in fact, a better shooter than he was.

"Mate. We're wizards. We can do anything." He said, throwing up an apple, catching it, and taking a bite.

"Yeah, you could just levitate it, which would so totally follow the rules of the game." Harry said sarcastically, turning around, and typing a few things into the document that he had been working on.

"And so would charming the basket." Ron said, throwing a piece of paper backwards, hitting the wall, and bouncing it into the basket.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"I don't know Ginny." Hermione said, holding out her nails, carefully examining the color. "This one looks good, but I really like the sparkles on this one."

"It's nail polish Hermione." Ginny said, holding up the bottle. "And my wedding is two weeks away. We can figure this out the day before or the day of." Ginny said, leaning back on the couch.

"Ahhhhhh that is where you are wrong young one." Hermione said, imitating a very wise elderly man. She turned to face criss cross to Ginny, and looked her straight in the eye. "You don't know what it's like the few days before the wedding. There's always that feeling like you are forgetting something, and the pressure of being the bride and everything is just total chaos."

"But what I am asking, is how do you know that is what is going to happen at my wedding? Maybe everything goes smoothly, and everything falls right into place." Ginny said.

"Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn't." Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders. "You just have to be prepared for the worst, and we are starting at the basics. And as I was trying to say before, Fleur already has your make-up planned out. Noticeable, but just barely. Gives you a natural glow, she says. And now we are working on bridesmaid's or in my case, the maid of honors, nail color." She said.

"But." Ginny said, trying to argue, once again. What could I say? She's Ginny.

"No buts Ginny. We have to get this done and over with if you want this to be a lifelong experience."

"Fine." Ginny said. "I like the sparkly one." Ginny muttered grumpily. Hermione just rolled her eyes, and looked down at her nails. With a flick of a wand, both of Hermione's hands were freed of polish, and all of the other bottles, were sent back to Hermione's bathroom cabinet. Ron didn't have a cabinet, he had a basket. She turned her entire body towards Ginny and placed her folded hands in her lap.

"Ginny." She said. "I know weddings might not be your thing. They aren't mine either. But something that you have to learn how to do, is accept things that are given to you, no matter how much you don't want to do them."

"But Hermi….."

"No but's Ginny." She said, silencing Ginny. "You have to live with it. Do you want to marry Harry?" She asked.

"Yes but…"

"One word answers." Hermione said. "Do you want to be with him forever?" She asked, pushing down Ginny's finger when it rose up as she attempted to make a point.

"Yes." She said.

"There ya go." She said. "Now I am due to meet Ron and Harry at the robes shop." She said, standing up. "Thanks for arguing with me." She said, smiling as she walked out the door

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hi boys." Hermione said, walking into Madam Turkin's robe shop. Making special occasion robes since 9,000 BC.

"Hey Hermione." Harry said, slumping in his chair. Both boys did not like doing this, but Ron had no use of being there. It was Ron, no sense of style or patience whatsoever.

"Hey beautiful." He whispered in her ear, and kissing her cheek. "Have fun with Harry." He said, leaving before Hermione could say a word. She just stood there, rolled her eyes, and walked over to Harry. Who looked like he didn't want to be there at all, like Ginny had with the nail polish extravaganza.

"No wonder why you and Ginny are getting married." She said, setting down her water bottle that she had been holding. "You two are both so stubborn."

"Am not." He said, in the school boyish way.

"I am not getting into this argument." She said, turning around. "Now stand up, and let me call Davís." She said, using a French accent on his name. French wizards were known for their robes, what could she say?

"Hermione darling." He said, kissing her on both cheeks. "What can I get you today?" He said.

"I have a friend getting married in two weeks, and we were called in saying that his robes were ready. We just need those last minute tweaks." She said, looking at Harry, who looked like he wanted to die to get away from the torture.

"Ahh. Last minute perfections are my perfection." He said, laughing at his own joke. "Now what is this handsome young man doing in my shop today for? Oh yes you already told me, the robes." He said, doddling off to the back room.

"Hermione. You know I love you. You're like my sister, about to become one in two weeks. Now, since you are almost my sister. Can you do your sisterly ways and get me out of here?" He asked.

"I thought you liked weddings?" Hermione asked, sort of joking.

"I want to get married to her, I love her. Just I don't like the preparations." He said, slumping his body onto one side.

"It'll be worth it in the end. Trust me." She said.

"I sure hope so…." He muttered, as Davís came over, and started working his magic (no pun intended) on Harry dress robes.

"That wasn't that bad was it?" Hermione asked, as she and Harry strode down Hogsmeade's run down cobblestone.

"No." He admitted. "But now, all that's left is the writing of the vows, which I am not doing, and the actual reception." He said.

"You aren't what?" Hermione asked.

"I'm saying them right then and there. So it won't all be pre-written, with ideas from you or Ron. It'll be from the heart, and that's kinda the whole point anyway." He said, walking with his hands in his jeans pockets.

"Wow Harry." She said. "So heartfelt." She said sarcastically, holding her hand over her heart.

"Yeah I know." He smirked, as the two friends walked through the village, walking towards the alley in which they would apparate back to their own house, back to their loving partners.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You are such a cheater!" Ginny said, slapping Harry's arm playfully. Ron had just finished telling the story of how Harry had cheated in the basket game, and Ron had originally known from the getaway.

"So is he really that good?" Hermione asked. They were all eating their weekly end-of-week dinner. It was now, a week before the wedding. Time was just flying by.

"Yeah he is." Harry said. "As much as I hate to admit it. But he let me keep the points I earned, and I'm still two points ahead." He said.

"Now how many did Ron have when you cheated?" Ginny asked.

"Sixty five I think." Harry said.

"How many did you have?" Hermione asked him, cornering him in a way. Now only if Ron would get in, and become the superman of the conversation; saving Harry from the wrath of two women

"A hundred and two." Harry said.

"Now how many are you up by now?" They both asked in unison.

"Two…." Harry said shamefully. Both the girls clapped and Ron just looked like he had won the lottery.

"See? This is what I call 'Revenge.'" Ron said.

"And this is what I call, humiliation." Harry said, leaning down on his hand, making his cheek go up. He then continued to be avenged for his cheating against Ron, in the paper shooting wastebasket game.


	21. Chapter 21: May 21st

**Chapter 21**

As the sun rose over the meadows and fields, a young bride sat at the window of her childhood room, watching it rise; an occasional tear running down the side of her cheek, quickly wiping it away. The sun was so bright, so cheerful, that her heart felt warm. A bird flew overhead, soaring gracefully through the clear skies. She couldn't help to feel nothing but happy. It was just so beautiful.

"Ginny…" Hermione said, sneaking into Ginny's room. Ginny took a few seconds to turn around, and saw Hermione standing there, still in her linen pajamas.

"Hey Hermione." Ginny stood up, and sat on her bed. "What time is it?" She asked as Hermione sat on the bed along with her.

"Around seven." She answered. "The wedding starts in six hours." Ginny just sat there, imagining Harry standing there at the end of the aisle, his hair still unruly, and perfect.

"What time do we have to get ready?" She said, imagining her mum and Fleur downstairs waiting, desperately wanting Ginny to show up.

"Around ten, nine if we want your mum to calm down." Ginny just looked away, back outside the window. "Ginny? Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine." She said, looking at Hermione. "I just didn't know what I had until it was gone." She answered quietly.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"My family's support. Seeing them every morning, being able to eat Mum's food. Seeing you and Ron almost every day. And I actually miss the lack of privacy we used to have around here. The sneaking around, the switching of beds, the midnight talks you and I would have." Ginny went on.

"You're not the only one that misses it Ginny." Hermione said. "I'm pretty sure that sometime in someone's life, this happens. People really just hide that they miss everything." Hermione was quite smart when it came to things like this, and Ginny had no idea why.

"I just can't believe that I've rushed everything, and I didn't stop to look at everything beautiful that I was leaving behind." She said.

"Such as?"

"The birds in the morning. The sun rising over the mountains and forests. You can't get this where we live. We hear bus brakes, the traffic, and the busyness of the city. We don't see birds or the sun rising. I just miss it." Ginny said.

"I don't mean to be a moment breaker here, but why are you noticing this now?" Hermione asked.

"I just realized it now. Never really stopped to think about it." Ginny said quietly. "Well, anyways, I've got a wedding to have." She said, walking over to her closet.

"You have everything?" Hermione asked. "Shoes?"

"Check."

"Dress?"

"Check."

"Hair pins?"

"Check."

"Good." Hermione said, opening the door, while Ginny walked out of the door, and walked downstairs quietly; Hermione trailing behind her.

*~*~*~*~*

"Harry?" Someone said, shaking Harry awake. Harry opened his eyes, to see a very blurry image of a red-head that he assumed to be Ron. He reached over to the coffee table, and put on his glasses. He sat up, and took a deep breath.

"Today's the day isn't it?" He asked.

"Today's the day." Ron repeated, assuring Harry. "Now, we've already had the big brother talk, now it's time to have the best mate talk." He said, sitting in the chair next to the couch.

"Excuse me?" Harry asked.

"The best mate talk. Give advice you know?" Ron said, and Harry could tell he didn't want to do this. "For the sake of my sanity, you're marrying Julie. So, you and Julie get married. Stay with her for every second, unless she tells you to leave her. Don't drink too much, and don't let her drink too much either, that won't make good memories." He said.

"That's it?" Harry asked.

"No, there's more, but I don't think you want me to say anything about that." Ron said awkwardly. "And I'm okay now, about you and Ginny."

"The fact that you said Julie instead of Ginny, shows me different." Harry said.

"Well, I'm better than I used to be you know? It's different than it used to be. Now that I'm married, I've changed." Ron said.

"Hermione has changed you." Harry corrected.

"Well, yeah." Ron said. "Anyways, we have to get ready and head to the house or Mum is going to kill us." Ron threw Harry his robes, and they both put their own on in a matter of seconds.

"What time is it?" Harry asked.

"You have three hours left as a free man Harry." Ron said. "Are you sure you don't want to go get a drink?" Ron asked, pleading for something since Harry neglected to have a bachelor party.

"I'll take a drink." Harry agreed. "But just one, for both of us."

"Good choice mate, now let's go." Ron said, opening the door to his and Hermione's flat. "We only have a little bit of time left."

*~*~*~*

"Please don't cry Mum." Ginny said, while Fleur did her hair. Her makeup was done and everyone was ready, but for her. The bridesmaid, Luna, and the Maid of Honor, Hermione, were all dressed and ready. Neville would be walking with Luna, and Ron with Hermione; both pairings seemed fit for the occasion.

"I'm not going to cry yet dear, the wedding hasn't even started yet." Mrs. Weasley said from behind, watching Fleur do Ginny's hair.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm very sure dear." Mrs. Weasley said, patting Ginny's shoulder. "Now I must go help Arthur with the cake. I don't trust his wand of his to carry that." He said.

"Done." Fleur said, backing up and admiring her work of art. "You 'ook bea'tiful Gin'y."

"Thank you Fleur." Ginny said, getting up and hugging Fleur.

"Ginny," Hermione said, walking into the room. "Time to get in the dress."

"Is it that time already?" Ginny said, looking at the clock on her wall. It read twelve forty five, fifteen minutes until the wedding started. "I guess it is."

"Now come over here and…" Hermione said, as Ginny walked over and stepped into the dress. Hermione pulled it up, and zipped it. Ginny stood there, looking the mirror. She was actually getting married, and she was ready to do so. Her father walked in, and stopped to look at her.

"You look beautiful." He said, kissing her cheek.

"Thanks Dad." She said, hugging him.

"Anytime sweetheart." He said, and Hermione walked out of the room. She walked down the stairs, and out the back door, to find a grand tent, just as her wedding, standing there. There was a man at the tent entrance, guiding guests to their seats. She waved to him, and walked into the tent. At least one hundred people sat there, talking amongst each other, as for some, amongst themselves.

"Ron!" Hermione said, trying to find her husband.

"Over here 'Mione." She heard from behind the tent. She slipped behind it, to find the two playing a game of Wizard's Chess.

"You're going to lose Harry." Hermione said. "He's got you cornered." She said, pointing at the king who was surrounded by Ron's pieces.

"I didn't get the best game of chess played at Hogwarts for nothing." Ron said, crushing Harry's last piece.

"And just for the record, may I ask you why you two are playing this, right before a wedding?" Hermione asked.

"For old times." Ron said.

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Precisely." Harry answered, running his hand through his hair. He could do nothing with it, everything he tried, it stood up straight. So he decided to just let it be.

"Okay, just as a warning, the wedding starts in ten minutes." She said. "And Ron, can I talk to you for a little bit?" She said, walking out of the tent, and behind some trees, where nobody could see or hear them. She watched as Ron submerged from the tent walking towards her.

"What's up 'Mione?" Ron asked.

"Please don't tell me you got him drunk before the wedding, or hung over." She said, hands on her hips.

"We just went out for one drink two hours ago. Nothing to worry about." He assured her. "And anyways, he only had butter beer, which doesn't make you drunk easily."

"What'd you have?" She asked.

"Same as Harry did." He said.

"I trust you Ron." She said. "Only because you're the stupid bloke I married." She said, kissing his cheek, and beginning to walk away.

"Hermione." Ron said, walking up to her after she had stopped. She turned around. "You look beautiful." He said, kissing her tenderly, then walking back to get Harry. She stood there, blushing, and then went into the tent. Most of the guests had shown up, except for those special few. Hermione looked around for Aunt Muriel, but she didn't see her.

"Good choice Ginny." Hermione muttered, and walked down the aisle and out the entrance. "Luna!" She said, seeing Luna talking to Neville out to the side.

"Oh Hello Hermione." Luna answered. "Neville was just telling me that you and Ron got married. I am so sorry I couldn't be there." She said.

"Oh no, it's quite alright." Hermione answered. "Nobody else is going to go and find those Crumple Horned Snorkacks" She said sarcastically, carefully hidden so that way Luna did not understand. Neville, being the kind gentleman he was, was trying so hard not to laugh, and holding it together.

"I knew you would understand Hermione. Now, I must go find those gnomes and chase them around freely until one of them bites me." Frolicking, Luna pranced away towards the garden, singing a lovely tune written by the Weird Sisters three years back.

"The wedding's about to start, I better go sit down." Neville said, hands in his coat pocket, and then walking off towards his seat. Mostly everyone was seated, with the exceptions of the ones that were parts of the wedding, which included Hermione and Luna.

"Luna!" Hermione called, looking for her throughout the garden for her. "Luna!" She called out once more.

"Yes?" Luna said, stepping out the burrow. Hermione turned around, and let out a long sigh.

"Only five more hours of this to go…" She whispered, making her way towards the house where she would soon meet the bride in the waiting room. She turned the corner, to see Ginny standing there.

"Oh my god Hermione." She said, running up to her. "We had thought you had run off."

"I was right outside." Hermione said, pointing towards the door. "You could see me perfectly."

"Give me some slack on my wedding day." She said, smiling. "Now, it's time. Let's go get married." She smiled some more. Hermione could've sworn that she'd seen Ginny smile more times with Harry, than she had with just her.

"You and Harry can go get married; I wouldn't like to marry my sister." George said, coming down the stairs. "Angie and I are ready now." He said.

"Good." She said. "Hermione, where's Ron?" Ginny asked.

"He's coming, trust me." Hermione said. "Well, then again, I think I'm going to go and check on him." Hermione said, walking out.

"I can't believe I'm getting married today." Ginny said.

"I remember when you used to pretend that you would marry Harry Potter, now you actually did." George said, piping in once more.

"I told you that I was going to marry him, and you were the one that doubted me." She said, pointing her bouquet of lilies at him.

"Not my fault Gins." He said, putting his hands up as if her was surrendering.

"It's time." Mr. Weasley said, walking into the room. "Hermione is standing with Ron by the entrance; you all have to follow them now." Everyone else left the room, leaving Ginny and her father there.

"I'll always be here for you angel, always remember that." He said, kissing her head.

"I love you Daddy." She said, hugging him. "I'll always be your little girl no matter what." She said.

"Love you too sweetheart." He said. "Are you ready?" He said, taking a step forward. Ginny took a deep breath and took a step forward.

"Ready."


	22. Chapter 22: The Wedding

**Chapter 22**

The music started to play the sound of the wedding march, and Ginny took a deep, calming breath. She was about to get married. Actually get married. To add onto the fact that it was Harry Potter she was going to marry, just bewildered her. Ever since she was a little girl, she would walk down the stairs, pretending she was getting married to _the_ Harry Potter. She laughed at the thought, that her eight year old brain, was actually right.

She held onto her father's arm with a small strength, and slowly but steadily made her way around the corner and into the aisle. She heard whispers about the room, thankful of her decision of not inviting Aunt Muriel, no matter how much her mother disliked it. She looked around for maybe two seconds, but then she caught eye on something straight up the aisle.

Harry stood there, smiling back at her, as she walked down the aisle. Her father held her arm, and would pat her arm from time to time, as he thought that she was crying. She was on the verge of it, but no, she would not cry. She was too happy, to cry a single tear. She gazed straight ahead at Harry, as he stood at his place, beaming like mad.

She didn't quite know what to think in the moment, or even what to do. She just thought of Harry, just Harry. No flowers or tablecloths, or chairs or robes for the young ones. No arguing with her mother or Fleur, she wasn't even thinking about if she was walking down the aisle in her knickers by accident. Not even thinking of the life that is laid out ahead of her, she was just thinking about him.

As Ginny neared the end of aisle and the music began to slow, Mr. Weasley gave a reassuring squeeze to her arm, and as he let her go, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and merely walked away. Ginny glanced back at her father, and gave him a reassuring smile. She then noticed a single tear, running down the side of his face, as he smiled widely back at her.

"You may all sit down." Kingsley said with his deep voice. Harry took Ginny's hands in hers, and held them with reassurance. "On behalf of the bride and groom, I welcome all of you to the marriage ceremony of Harry James Potter, and Ginevra Molly Weasley." Harry turned to see Mrs. Weasley crying the world's water supply, and Mr. Weasley carefully soaking it up with his handkerchief. As Kingsley read a poem out loud, Ginny and Harry lost each other in their eyes. Harry was barely even listening to what Kingsley was saying, but was acknowledging that we were paying attention. Ginny was doing the same, but selling it more than Harry had.

"It is now time for the vows." Hermione came over and handed Ginny her paper, which held her vow to Harry in a few sentences. She glanced over to Harry, who held nothing. No paper, no note. "Harry, you shall go first."

"Gin, I don't even know what to say right now, I'm lost for words…" He glanced down at their hands, and then back up at her. "You look beautiful, Ginny, absolutely beautiful. You are the love of my life, and I can't wait for us to spend the rest of our life together. We will make it through thick and thin, and every little bump in the road that comes around, I will never leave your side. I love you Gin, and I always will." Ginny gave a small, but meaningful smile as a single tear rolled down the side of her face.

Kingsley then took that it was the end of his vow, and said "Ginevra,"

"Harry," Ginny said, holding the paper in her hand but barely glancing at it. "I remember when I was eight, I would walk down the hallways as if I was getting married, and Ron would be standing at the end, pretending he was you. But as I walk down the aisle today, I realize Ron is not taking your place anymore. It's really you, and that truly amazes me." She took a deep breath, and then began to speak once more. "But today I stand here, holding your hand as we walk down this path of life together as lovers, and as friends. Harry James Potter, you are my chosen one, and I will love you as long as the stars shine."

A slight 'awwww' came from the audience, as Ginny and Harry took the rings from both Hermione and Ron. Ginny looked down at her engagement ring, and then towards Harry's ring that she held in her hand. The ring, that she held, was a ring that Harry would wear for the rest of his life. The ring that he held, was the one that she would hold for the rest of her life. Cherish it, guard it with her life.

"Harry, place this ring on Ginevra's finger to symbolize the love that you hold towards her." Harry slide the ring onto her finger. "Ginevra, place this ring on Harry's finger to symbolize your bond, and everlasting love towards him." Ginny then slide the ring onto Harry's finger.

"Harry, do you promise to love Ginevra Molly Weasley through rich and poor, sickness and health, and until death parts you?" Kingsley asked.

"I do." Harry beamed.

"Ginevra, do you promise to love Harry James Potter through rich and poor, sickness and health, and until death parts you?" Kingsley asked.

"Forever." Ginny said, a single tear running down the side of her cheek as she smiled brightly at Harry.

"The ceremony is now finished, and Harry, you may kiss your bride." Harry took Ginny in his arms, and kissed her tenderly. He could feel Ginny smiling underneath his lips, and could hear the clapping from the people sitting in the chairs. They broke apart, both of them beaming like mad. They joined hands, and together, made their way down the aisle to the back of the tent. Mrs. Weasley had a handkerchief and was sobbing; Hagrid sat in the back with his tablecloth as well.

The bridesmaids and the best man made their way after the bride and groom, and Ginny looked back just one last time, to take in the moment. As they exited the tent, they all walked into a separate tent, where they would stay until they were set to go to the reception.

"We did it." Ginny said, hugging Harry as they walked into the tent.

"We did." He whispered back into her ear, and she looked up and him lovingly. She kissed him quickly, and broke apart as Ron walked into the room with Hermione on his arm. Hermione flew towards Ginny and hugged her. Ron walked towards Harry, and they shared a manly hug.

"Ginny!" Hermione squealed. "That ceremony was so beautiful." She said.

"It was, you helped me plan it." Ginny smiled, as did Hermione. About two feet over, the two men were aimlessly talking about the old days, and how Ron was and still is bloody terrified of his wedding.

"Well, I guess this means that my little sister is married." George said, sliding into the tent in which he was not supposed to be in.

"Well, I guess so." Ginny smiled, as she walked over to her brother and giving him a hug. George held her in a hug for longer than what she had thought, but she was there willingly the entire time.

"Fred would've been so proud of you." He whispered in her ear, and her eyes began to water just so slightly. But again, she couldn't let a single tear out, she was too happy. And she finally realized that Fred was too. He was watching them with a smile on his face, cracking jokes with Lupin and Tonks, pulling flowers out of his trousers with Uncle Bilius during his death day party, always a smile upon his face. He even etched one upon Ginny's cheeks without him trying at all.

"Thanks George." She said, letting go of him. "I think you'd want to go back out there to avoid being trampled. We have to go back there in a couple minutes."

"Thinking of your brother are ya?" He asked. "Always one to worry about me and my safety." He said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"You wish, now can you please leave?" She asked, pushing him out of the room, laughing ever so slightly.

"I'll leave, but you owe me a dance during the reception." He said, sticking his head in the tiny space between the two sheets of fabric.

"Fine George, I'll dance with you." Ginny gave in.

"I was talking to Harry sis." George winked at Harry, and proceeded to laugh and leave the tent. Everyone laughed in the tent, until a silence fell on top of them, that sometime, someone would have to break.

"Well," Ron said. "I guess now I can say that my little sister isn't so little anymore." He stood there with his arm around Hermione's waist, smiling at Ginny.

"I'm not little anymore, but I'll always be your little sister." She smiled back at him as Ron let go of Hermione and came over to hug Ginny. "No matter what you say, I'll always be your adorable little sister." She whispered in his ear, and Ron let go of the hug.

"I wouldn't say adorable." He said joking.

"I was adorable Ron, you can't deny it." She said, and he just shook his head. "I was." He continued to shake his head back and forth, repeatedly disagreeing with her. "Are you doubting me when I was an adorable young girl?"

"You put dragon dung in my bed when I stole your toast at breakfast Ginny, and that, I believe is not adorable." He said, and Ginny blushed a little bit.

"Did you really do that Gin?" Harry asked, and Ginny hid her face. She then heard a few laughs about the room, and she moved one of her fingers to look out from behind her hands. She saw Harry and Hermione laughing, and to Ginny's surprise, Ron was laughing too.

"I've forgiven you Ginny, it's fine." Ron laughed. "You don't need to hide anymore." Ginny let her hands fall down to her sides, and she walked over to Ron and gave him a hug. Ron and Ginny hugged for so long, that Harry and Hermione got uncomfortable and they gave each other a hug, just for old times.

"Time to go back out." Harry said, looking at the clock. "You two better get out of here, before you get trampled." Harry smiled as Ron and Hermione joined hands to walk out of the room.

"You know, now I can call you my wife." Harry said, wrapping his arm around Ginny's waist and not letting any space between the two of them.

"And I can call you my husband." She smiled at him, and kissed him quickly on the lips. He then returned the smile, and spoke.

"Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Harry took Ginny's hand in his own, and then began to walk towards the people filled tent, where he would most likely be crowded with 'Congratulations' by multiple people.

"Now introducing, the new Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter." The band said to cue them to enter. They both walked in, and applause roared up from the crowd, and smiles as wide a mountains and that could cover many deserts. Mrs. Weasley was seen first to give the young couple, followed by a stampede of Weasleys.

"Ginny dear!" Mrs. Weasley pulled Ginny into a bone crushing hug. "I am so proud of you dear." Ginny couldn't feel any pain that she knew was there, she was too happy to feel anything _but_ happy.

"Harry." Mr. Weasley came up, giving Harry a manly hug. "Take care of her son." He said into Harry's ear as he patted Harry's back.

"I will Mr. Weasley, I promise." Harry said back, releasing the hug.

"Please Harry, call me Dad. We've known each other long enough for you to call me that." They both smiled, as Mr. Weasley switched with Mrs. Weasley to share the same conversations.

"I'm so proud of you pumpkin." Mr. Weasley gave Ginny a tight hug, then let go a few, long seconds later. "He'll take care of you, I made him promise me." Mr. Weasley gave a smirk, and Ginny gave a small, but meaningful laugh.

"Daddy." She smiled at him, and he just shrugged his shoulders and gave a smile back to his married daughter.

"Harry, dear." Mrs. Weasley said, crushing Harry into a hug. He was also used to the gesture, and took the hug over the pain. "I hope you and my daughter Ginevra have a wonderful life together."

"Thanks mum." Harry smiled, and then turned to say hello to a gigantic shadow that had been standing behind him for quite some time.

"I remember when you were a young little fell'r, you could fit in me own hand!" Hagrid exclaimed, and Harry slightly chuckled while he smiled. There wasn't any part of the entire day, that Harry had not been smiling. He just couldn't be sad. "Now you all grown up."

"Well, I'm still not as tall as you Hagrid." Harry said, slightly looking up at Hagrid, who was just a foot taller than him. Harry could remember when he was so small, that Hagrid was towering over him by a yard.

"Mayb' at the rate you growin, you'll catch up to meh." Hagrid joked, and Harry just simply hugged Hagrid. As he might of thought, Harry wasn't the slightest bit awkward, nor was Hagrid. As he remembered, it was like old times; just like when he was eleven. They broke apart, and Hagrid bent down slightly to whisper something into Harry's ear. "Promise me when you got lil' Potters runnin' round at Hogwarts, they come and see me."

"That won't be for a while, but I'll be sure of it." Harry whispered back, smirking as he waved a goodbye to Hagrid, and made his way over to Ginny, who was bombarded by her relatives.

"Gin." Harry said, walking over to her side and taking her hand in his. "Let's head back to the table." He whispered in her ear.

"Thank god." She said, waving to her family as they stood there. She looked over to the table, and Ron sat there with Hermione whispering in her ear. Hermione was smiling, and even giggling from time to time. Ginny and Harry exchanged a look, and they walked over to the table and sat down.

"How are you two lovebirds?" Ginny asked while lifting her dress slightly to sit down as Harry stood behind her, pulling her seat out for her.

"Good." Hermione answered calmly, as if nothing had happened and Ginny hadn't seen. Harry took his seat next to Ginny.

"You're better than good." Ginny said. "I saw Ron whispering sweet nothings into your ear just a minute ago."

"Well, yeah." Hermione smiling at Ron. Ginny then rolled her eyes, then felt Harry put their clasped hands on his lap, and leaned over.

"Would you like me to whisper sweet nothings into your ear?" He asked, and Ginny then turned her head to make sure Ron couldn't read her lips and said.

"They don't have to be sweet." Ginny pulled away, and as she did, she gave Harry a wink and seductive grin. Ron could tell something was going on, but he just brushed it off as he and Hermione had something else on their minds.

"What's up with you two?" Ginny asked, putting her forearms onto the tablecloth, which she and Hermione had picked out during that one day.

"Nothing, we're just happy for you two that's all." Hermione said, and then Ron butted in.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it." And as Ron said that, you could tell that something else was going on.

"Hermione Jean Granger, you better tell me, I swear." Ginny threatened across the table, and Ron and Hermione swapped a glance at each other. Ron nodded his head, and he turned to Harry to talk to him. Ginny and Hermione got up, and they both walked behind the tent cover to a secluded area with a bench.

"What is it Hermione?" Ginny asked. "This is killing me."

"First, I'd like to say I am very happy for you and Harry…" Hermione tried to stall, as she saw that it was going to be awkward.

"Just tell me Hermione." Ginny said. "I'm quite gifted with the bat-bogey spell, Ron knows that."

"Fine." Hermione said. "Ron and I are thinking about starting a family in the near future. He was whispering to me about what would happen, and I couldn't help but laugh." Ginny's face had already been occupied by a smile, but another one too its place; this smile much larger.

"I'm so happy for you two, so you two think you are ready?" Ginny asked.

"We're not sure yet, that's why we're just thinking about it. We're hoping that it'll work out, but with both my work and his, we're thinking it'll be too much to handle." Hermione explained.

"I'm sure you two will figure something out, well, I mean you'll figure something out…" Her voice drifted off into silence, as she gazed at a certain space. Hermione sat there awkwardly, as Ginny was glazed over, clearly thinking of something.

"Are you alright Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"No, no I'm fine. I just began thinking about family, and things like that." Ginny said.

"Oh." Hermione said. "I think it's about time that we head back to the seats, I'm scared that Ron has drunken too much tonight already."

"You're turning into my mother Hermione." Ginny warned, with a smile. Hermione even smiled, as she knew that this piece of information was true. "Just don't have seven kids, far too much to handle."

"Trust me, that won't be happening." Hermione laughed as she opened the tent entrance for Ginny to step through. As she did, Ginny saw that everyone was now sitting down enjoying their dinner. Both Ginny and Hermione walked back to their seats, and began to eat. Not once did the boys ask about the conversation, they just talked with the rest of the table about memories they had shared back at Hogwarts such as sneaking off to the kitchens at night, and Fluffy, the three headed dog.

"What happened to Fluffy?" Hermione asked, setting down her glass of water. "We haven't heard about her since first year, after we found the Sorcerer's stone."

"Fluffy?" Hagrid asked. "Fluffy's in the Forbidd'n Forest now. Best be kept in there, than in the school I say." Hagrid took the last sip of his fire whiskey, and then proceeded to place it down on the table with a thud.

"When did that happen?" Ron asked.

"After all you kids left Hogwarts." Hagrid explained. "Ol' Dumbledore and I walked her through the school. She didn't destroy anything, but she almost ran over Professor Flitwick."

"Poor Professor Flitwick." Hermione laughed, glancing down at Ron's watch. "Is it that time already?" Hermione asked.

"Guess so." Ron stood up, as Hermione clinked her glass with her spoon to get everyone's attention. Everyone got silent within a matter of seconds, and Ron cleared his throat.

"Good luck." Hermione whispered one last time, while she looked over her tiny sheet of paper which was going to be her speech.

"Hi, my name's Ron, and I am Harry's best man and Ginny's brother. I'm not only Harry's best man, but now I am his brother-in-law, which is bloody scary, don't you think? But I'm still Ginny's sister, no matter what happens." Ron was starting off slowly, and you could tell that he was nervous, but he kept going. "I wish that I could go up to Harry, and say welcome to the family, but he's already in the family really.

"We met in our first year on the platform 9, and we became brothers over the years. He came to our house for some of the summers during our six years at Hogwarts, spending half of them at the Dursley's prison, and half here. Wait, they aren't here are they?" He bent down and asked Harry. Harry just shook his head while he laugh, and Ron let out a sigh. "Harry and I have had lots of great times together, but I'm sad say that Harry and I aren't the ones getting married here, it's Harry and Ginny.

"I'm not so good on the story telling with you two so I'll cut it short. I lived with my little sister for ten years before she met Harry, and I can tell you that she loved him. She would try and convince us that one day, she was going to marry Harry Potter, and she was determined. It was actually quite funny to watch her as a five year old prance around singing a song she had made up about Harry, but that's beside the point. She knew she loved Harry from the start, and then she actually met him that day when we started out first year. I believe she even bid him good luck, before we left.

"Harry then saved her from Tom Riddle in her first year, and I'm extremely happy that he did, or else we wouldn't be sitting here tonight. Everyone at school knew that Ginny had a crush on Harry, and everyone at school pretty much knew that Harry had a crush on another girl, and Ginny grew jealous. As Harry and this other girl went out in his fifth year, Ginny went out with another person also. I'm trying not to say names, if that is okay." Ron said, as he saw that Dean, Michael, and Cho all sat at the same table three tables away.

"Sixth year, was a rollercoaster for all of us really. Ginny was going out with yet another boy, and Harry hadn't told me that he had grown jealous until after he kissed my sister at a party after we had won the house cup. He then broke up with her for her safety as we went off to fight Voldemort in our seventh year, as Harry and I never did complete our last year. Hermione did though. So after the final battle, Harry and Ginny then reunited, and that's that. I hope that my wife does a better job than I did, as I just rambled on. I forgot to write my speech, even though she told me to. Guess I forgot." Ron said sitting down, and Hermione stood up.

"I told him to write it, I swear." Hermione said, unfolding the piece of paper. "As my husband rambled on, I realized that most of what he said, was what I was going to say. So, I might as well start off with saying congratulations to the new bride and groom. I can't even explain how happy I am for you two. You two are just so perfect for each other and I can't wait to watch you two as a married couple, I imagine it will be quite funny to watch. But I remember meeting Ginny, and she was a young girl in love with Harry. We would talk through the years, and she would always talk about Harry. All of this didn't really come into play until my fifth year, and her fourth, when Harry began to date. She was heartbroken, so she decided to date also. However, she was still in love with Harry, and she ended up breaking up with that boyfriend before my sixth year.

"But she began to date another man in Harry, Ron, and I's sixth year and Ron began to date another girl. Now this was the year that Harry and I both discovered feelings towards our friends; his Ginny, and mine Ron. Harry and I would watch back in jealousy as they both walked by with their other lover, and Harry and I were truly heartbroken. But we both pushed through that, and look where that got us huh?" Hermione asked. "So I'd like to raise my glass to Harry and Ginny, and one of the most complicated love stories I have ever heard. To Harry and Ginny." Hermione said.

"To Harry and Ginny." The rest of the crowd cheered in, and took a sip.

"I love you Gin." Harry whispered, into Ginny's ear after he took a sip.

"I love you too Harry."


	23. Chapter 23: Family & Friends

**Chapter 23**

"Ginny?" Sleepily, she rolled over to face her husband and opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times before her vision became somewhat normal.

"Mmm?" She couldn't see much of Harry, only the outline of his messy, jet-black hair and the rim of his glasses protecting the gorgeous green eyes behind their lenses.

"Time to get up love. Your mum wants us over at her house in twenty minutes." He reached out and gently tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear. He closed the small space between them, and kissed her cheek softly. Her eyes shut, savoring the moment.

She was married.

"Harry?" She said quietly, still in the same position on the bed. She was just barely covered by the sheets, her legs exposed to the cold air around her. "We're married."

"I think I figured that out myself Gin." He laughed while he threw on his shirt, only buttoning the top two buttons before he put his jeans on.

"Doesn't really feel any different, does it?" She questioned, sitting up on the bed. It was then that she noticed, her pajamas were askew around the room.

"Just a little." He replied, buttoning up his shirt all the way and walking over to Ginny's side of the bed. "Now you really need to get up." He placed his palm on her soft cheek.

"What if I don't want to?" She whispered.

"You have to Gin." He leaned towards her. "We have fifteen more minutes before your mum comes over." His voice sent chills running down her spine, making her shiver.

"Let her come over."

"Ginny," He leaned closer to her, giving her a gentle kiss.

"Harry," She whispered, as they broke apart, opening her eyes slowly. "Why don't you come in bed with me?" She pulled back the sheet and patted the empty space.

"I would love to Gin, I just don't want to get murdered by your brothers." He replied. "I would really like to." He went down to kiss her cheek, but she moved his face last second for their lips to meet.

"We're newlyweds, they'll understand." She murmured while her forehead leaned against his, lacing her arms around his neck.

"Of course they will." He whispered back before capturing her lips in his.

~**~**~**~

"Little late are we?" George smirked from behind the half-open door. "Was it the floo network that slowed you down?"

"Be quiet George, I'm just happy that they're here." Angelina said, bouncing baby Fred in her arms. "Come in, Molly hasn't even asked about you yet, there might be a chance for you to slip in."

Baby Fred giggled as they walked back, and George took him from Angelina. He began making baby noises, something that Ginny hoped to never hear from George's mouth ever again.

"Come on Gin," Harry took her hand and they both walked into the sitting room, where everyone sat talking to someone or in Hermione's case, reading a book while Ron talked with Bill and Charlie; Ron and Hermione's hands were still laced together between the two of them.

"Oh I didn't even see you!" Mrs. Weasley wobbled over to them with her arms wide open only to embrace them in a warming hug.

"We just got here mum," Ginny explained as she let go. "Sorry we were running a bit late, Harry slept in a bit longer than I had expected." Harry squeezed Ginny's hand with a tad more pressure than before, causing Ginny to smile back as if to say 'just this once'. Knowing he loved her with everything he had, he let it go.

"Oh did he?" Hermione asked, glancing up from her book. Clearly, Hermione and almost everyone in the room had been eavesdropping on their conversation. The only ones not listening were Angelina and Fleur, who were talking quietly as they knew the room had gone quiet.

"I actually did Hermione," Harry lied quite easily, and it was as believable as when he told the truth. "I fell asleep at a later hour."

An awkward silence filled the room after this had been said, the words aimlessly floating in the air. Angelina and Fleur had finished their conversation, only to make a room full of twenty people become oddly silenced.

"Anyone care for a cup of tea?" Audrey peeped her head out of the kitchen. Everyone turned to her at once. She soon turned quiet. "I was just making a cup for myself..."

Nobody spoke.

"Okay then," She made her way back into the kitchen, and Percy stood up and followed her in.

"Hermione?" Ron whispered in her ear while placing a gentle touch on her shoulder, sending shivers down her spine. "Would you like to take a walk?"

As a small, but meaningful smile spread across her face, Ron knew his answer. She interlocked her fingers with his, and he led her out into the backyard. The grass was cut neatly from the wedding, its bristles tickling against Ron and Hermione's bare feet as they walked. The gnomes were returning, some of them with bruises and some whispering a few choice swear words. Hermione looked up at the stars, and then into Ron's eyes; she couldn't even tell the difference between the two.

"It's been over nine years 'mione," Ron mentioned. "Since we met each other I mean." They swung their hands in a light motion, synced along with their steps.

"I know, it's been a while hasn't it?" She laughed quietly and she waited a few seconds before she said her next words. "And if someone told me that you were the man of my dreams when I was eleven, I would've been surprised."

"I wouldn't have." He looked at her. "I mean, for you to be the girl I would spend the rest of my life with. I just always liked you in a way that no matter how much we argued—,"

"Which was quite a lot." Hermione added in, and Ron's deep laugh followed.

"We still do." He smirked. "I just always knew that somewhere deep inside me that I loved you, I was just too much of a bloody coward to realize it."

"You aren't a coward Ron," Hermione stopped to face him, placing a soft palm against his scratchy, unshaven face. Even though it had been only two years they had been together, her touch still sent shivers down his spine. "You're the man I love, my husband. I wouldn't have married you if I didn't believe all these things."

"Do you remember it Hermione?" Ron said abruptly, catching Hermione off guard. She blinked a few times before he said anything more. "Our first kiss, I mean." Hermione eyes filled with cheerfulness, and she was glowing.

"Very much so," said Hermione, as she placed her hands around his neck. "The room where everything is hidden, in front of Harry,"

"In the middle of the bloody war too." Ron added on with a smile. Hermione's eyes sparkled.

"Yes, well, that too."

Ron leaned down to Hermione and placed his lips softly on hers. She leaned herself closer into him while he pulled her towards him by her waist, his hand wandering at the small of her back. He loved her body pressed into his, it was one of the only pure feelings in the world; his love for Hermione. She moaned slightly as he moved his thumb in a circle on her lower back. Ron was the first to pull away.

"I guess that Seamus was wrong." He said with a slight pant in his voice. "Just because were married doesn't mean everything goes to hell."

Hermione chuckled.

"No, I think it's quite better actually." She added on, and then she heard the back door open and shut in a quick motion. "Did you hear that?"

"I did." He said, taking her hand into his, waiting for someone to turn the corner and reveal themselves.

"Oh don't you two worry, it's only me." Harry said, mere second before turning the corner.

"Ginny's not with you then?" Hermione asked.

"No, she thought that it should just be us three," He said, sliding his hands into his jean pockets. "Like when we were kids, it's been a while since it was us three by ourselves."

"When we were kids…" Hermione whispered, and a quiet laugh came after her words. "Ron and I were just talking about that."

"It's been nine years mate." Said Ron.

"Nine years," Harry repeated slowly. "Has it really been that long? Seems like yesterday doesn't it?"

"It does." Hermione said as Ron just nodded with his agreement.

"It's been two years since the final battle," Ron added. "We're all married two years after we got together, seems rather fast doesn't it?"

"Not when you've been what we've been through," Harry responded, sitting down on the grass. Ron and Hermione followed his action. "We've been through life and death."

"We have, haven't we?" Hermione laughed. "Makes us appreciate everything then. I think that's why most of us got married and serious so quickly, we wanted to make sure that if anything happened,"

"We were all in it together, every one of us." Harry completed her thought, taking the words right out of Hermione's mouth. "Bound by something greater than anything."

"Love." Hermione finished, a giggle attached on the end of it. Ron gave her a peculiar look, and then laughed himself. Hermione's laugh grew to be contagious, as Harry joined in a few moments later. The trio hadn't shared a real moment in a while, and they all missed each other.

Their childhood had consisted of them working as a team to defeat the greatest dark wizard of all time. Their teamwork soon grew into a bond that could never be broken, not even by death. The bond soon grew into love, the best type of friendship that anyone could have. They all became family while they worked together; Hermione's smarts, and Harry and Ron's bravery. Their childhood was not wasted, not a single drop. They all could say that their childhood was good because they had spent it with the best of friends, and nobody could ever change that.

*~*~*


	24. Chapter 24: Something Worth Living For

**Chapter 24**

While Ginny sat inside of Ron and Hermione's flat, she sat back on the couch and relaxed. Hermione had picked a movie out for the both of them to watch, and Ginny was bored within a matter of minutes. However, while Ginny sat there comfortably, Hermione was fully engaged in the plotline of story.

Ginny had her socked feet propped up on the coffee table, even though Hermione had told her not to many times before. Hermione hadn't told her to take her feet down for a few weeks now, and Ginny guessed that a certain brother of hers had showed the specific habit also. A bowl of freshly popped, microwave popcorn sat in-between them, ready for them to chow down on. Hermione had been very clear to Ginny that she didn't like messes so she said to pick up all the dropped kernels after they had fallen.

While Hermione watched the movie, Ginny had created a game that she found incredibly amusing. While Hermione was watching the movie, Ginny would reach over to eat a piece of popcorn and throw a few over on Hermione's side. Only time would tell, but Hermione would soon turn around and roll her eyes and picked up the popcorn off the sofa, thinking she had dropped it. Ginny thought it was the most fun game and she would laugh silently behind her hand whenever this happened.

"So where do you think Harry and I should go on our honeymoon?" Ginny asked, while combing through her hair with her fingers casually. Hermione turned to Ginny quickly and muted the movie in the process.

"You don't know where you're going on your honeymoon?" Hermione asked, stumbling on many of the words.

"Should I?" Ginny asked.

While Hermione stared at Ginny with disbelief, she went to push her hair back but realized that it was in a ponytail, and quickly lowered her hands. "Ginny, where are you going to go? If you have nothing planned-,"

"Hermione," Ginny held up to her hand to quiet Hermione, who fell into a silence. Ginny then said, "Harry and I don't plan, surely you know that. We just make do with what we have, we plan if we have to. If all goes wrong, then all goes wrong."

"Well," Hermione began, and Ginny was ready for an argument. Hermione straightened up. "I don't blame you. Just if you want my help, all you have to do is ask."

*~*~*~*~*

"Hermione!" Harry flagged her down as she walked out of work one afternoon. Holding a book tightly to her chest, she turned around to see a frazzled yet calm Harry running towards her. She stopped in her place. "Hermione." He repeated once he had reached her.

"Hi Harry," She greeted him, putting her book in one hand to go around for a hug. But instead, Harry reached out and put his hands on Hermione's shoulders.

"I need your help." He looked her straight in the eye, and she was almost sure on what this was about.

"Don't know of any place to go?" She questioned, her head tilted slightly to one side with a grin smacked on her face. Harry sighed and dropped his arms to his side.

"No idea." He said while pushing his hair back. Ginny had told Hermione that it was a habit of Harry's and from that moment since; Hermione couldn't help but to notice it. "We've put it off because I didn't know when I could get off work, but now that I know I get off tomorrow…"

"Wait Harry," She said, trying to interrupt in the nicest way possible. "You only have until tomorrow to plan this? Do you have any idea how difficult this is going to be?"

"I'm sorry Hermione but I don't need the guilt infested lecture here, yeah? I just need ideas, and I thought who better than my best friend." He said, a weak smile on his face. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Ron didn't have any ideas did he?" She asked, her arms still crossed.

"Not a single one, well a useful one at that." He replied with a laugh. "He's useful, no doubt about that, but not when it comes to situations like this."

"I know exactly what you mean." She laughed. "You've known him for a while, you've ought to feel like me sometimes right?" Harry laughed at this statement.

"Sometimes it feels as if I know too much about him like we're married or something, but it's a shame he's already taken." Harry joked, and Hermione snickered.

"Shame isn't it?" She said.

"But from what I heard," Harry said, bring his voice down into a quiet but clear voice. "The girl that's with Ron is utterly mental."

"Harry!" Hermione said smacking him in his arm, he winced as she did but a smile was still present upon his face.

"Ummm—sorry. I was only joking." He replied, stepping back timidly while laughing. "Well, if you have any ideas, just write me yeah?"

"Sounds like a plan." Hermione answered. "And Harry?" Hermione called after him.

"Yeah?"

"How about you talk to her about it, and come up with the idea together." Hermione suggested. "You two have both come to me for ideas, and the best I have is Italy but-,"

"ITALY!" Harry said, grinning like mad. Hermione shook her head in disapproval of the situation. "Thanks Hermione!"

"That's not what," Hermione began, but Harry ha already started to run off while shouting, "Thanks again, see you later!"

"I meant…" She finished her sentence with a sigh as he disappeared out of sight.

"What'd you reckon Harry—Cannons or Puddlemere United?" Ron said, glancing at the newest Daily Prophet as Harry strolled into the office. He glanced over at Ron, who sat with his feet propped up on boxes upon boxes of paperwork with the unfolded Daily Prophet stretched out in front of him.

"Puddlemere, without a doubt." He snatched the paper from Ron's hand to read the score of the match and Ron let his feet fall off the boxes as he spun around in his chair.

"I WAS BLOODY READING THAT!" Ron said loudly.

"Sorry mate, but there's no point in reading it when you know who lost." Harry said, flipping through the pages as he took a seat. Ron pouted stubbornly like a child schoolboy, too ignorant to admit that Harry was right. Harry chuckled at this, remembering that this was one of the many reasons why Ron and Hermione were bound to be together. But Ron soon got over it, as he almost did everything else.

"What's the final tally?" Ron asked, stretching his neck and leaning over towards Harry attempting to see the paper. Harry merely turned the corner of the paper just to make Ron a bit bothered.

"Griffiths caught the snitch," Harry browsed the paper, his eyes darting over each word skimming for anything important.

"Well, I kind of saw that one coming, Gudgeon hasn't caught the snitch since…well, when he catches the snitch it's a bloody accident. Bloke doesn't even know how to play Quidditch." He shook his head disapprovingly, and turned back to his work. A few minutes went by while Harry read, and then Ron spoke again. "So the tally then?"

"The final was…" Harry fixed his glasses and continued to read on. "Three-hundred and ninety to forty in favor of Puddlemere."

"There you go." Ron said, shrugging his shoulders and turning back to his desk as Harry did the same. They both began to work on pieces of paperwork, some on death eater cases but some on mental cases that made Ron a tad bit frightened. As Harry read over this, he noticed that Ron's typing became more and more audible with each stroke of each key to which he assumed was a result of the match.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"I'm home Gin," Harry laid his cloak over the chair as he walked in and glanced around the sitting room to find that Ginny hadn't been in there like usual. He peeked into the kitchen to find that nothing was different than this morning, just a box of cereal on the counter that Ginny had neglected to put away. "Gin?" He said, peering into their bedroom to see an unmade bed and Ginny's Quidditch robes thrown over the dresser carelessly.

"In here Harry." He heard a voice come from their spare bedroom they used as an office across the hall. He walked into the sunlit room to find her curled up on the couch under a handmade Weasley blanket while reading. "How was work?"

"Slow day," He responded, sitting next to her and instinctively putting his arm around her, to which she responded by snuggling closer to him. "Not much to do really."

"You've had quite a few slow days lately, are they letting you off anytime soon?" She asked, playing with his hand with her fingers.

"It's soon." Harry grinned, and Ginny looked up at him.

"Soon as in how soon?" She asked. "Gwenog says she wants me back in three weeks to start the captain position, and I have to read these bloody playbooks-," She held up the so called book she was reading, but Harry cut her off.

"Soon is tomorrow." Harry said and Ginny, who had been snuggled against him, pulled away. Her face wore an expression crossed between what-the-hell-is-going-on and this-is-the-best-news-I've-heard-all-day.

"Seriously?" Harry nodded his head, and Ginny pointed her finger at him. "Don't lie to me, Harry James Potter."

"We're going, okay?" He leaned over and kissed her gently, pulling away before Ginny realized it. She looked into his emerald green eyes, seeing an undying love in them, and nodded at him. He gently placed his hand on Ginny's cheek, and withdrew it as he stood up. "I love you Gin."

"I love you too Harry." She responded as he walked out the door. She pulled her Weasley blanket over her legs and picked up her book on Quidditch plays, hoping that she could find a memorization spell. Soon.

Turning the page of the book, Ginny took notice to something. She and Harry had no idea where they were going to go, or at least she did not. She folded the page of the playbook and threw the blanket off of her, letting it carelessly fall back onto the floor. She walked out of the office and into the kitchen, where Harry stood against the counter with a grin, sipping a pint of Butterbeer, as if he were suspecting her.

"Where are we going exactly? I didn't catch it." She asked, and Harry smiled with a small whipped cream moustache. She couldn't help but laugh quietly at him.

"Italy." He responded, and Ginny didn't make any sudden movements, so he repeated it again. "We're going to Italy."

"Are you serious Harry?" She asked, and Harry could see a slight sparkle in her eye that he noticed to be pure happiness. Harry just smirked and took a sip of his pint. "Tell me you're serious Harry."

"I'm serious." He set his butterbeer down just in time for Ginny to run over and crash her lips on top of his. They broke apart for just enough time for him to mutter a word, the last syllable being muffled by Ginny's lips. "Seriously."

Smiling, she pulled away to find that Harry's cream moustache had vanished and she had the very sweet taste of whipped cream on her taste buds.

*~*~*~*~*

"It's about bloody time you lot decided where to go," Ron greeted both Ginny and Harry with a hug. Ginny brushed the tiny bit of floo powder from her jeans.

"We actually had a lot of help from Hermione," Harry said, ruffling his hair a bit. He glanced around at Ron and Hermione's flat, astonished at how incredibly clean it was. Though, he was always surprised at how clean their flat was, considering that Ron lived there. He always thought this, even though he knew that Hermione and Ron often bickered about the flat being clean.

"You both gave me quite a headache—," Hermione strolled in the room and enveloped Ginny in a hug. "Ginny told me yesterday that you didn't know where to go,"

"And she freaked out." Ginny finished for her, and Hermione opened her mouth to object, but then she lowered it, knowing Ginny was right.

"Seriously?" Ron nudged her, and she leaned her weight towards him.

"Shut up Ron…" She laughed. "So, you are always welcome here," Hermione told Harry and Ginny. "But why so short notice?"

"We're just coming by to say goodbye before we leave tomorrow morning." Ginny said, sliding her hand into her jean pocket.

"We're due to the Portkey at six, and Merlin knows Ron isn't going to get up that early." Harry commented.

"Hey!" Ron interjected, and he crossed his arms childishly. "Six is rather early in the morning, I don't understand why people wake up that early."

"Neither do I," Ginny muttered, and Harry looked at her with a hidden smile inside his eye, as he was hinting that Ginny was the least bit of a morning person.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Hermione offered, her thumb pointed to the kitchen where a kettle lay on top of the gas powered, Muggle stove. "I just brewed some up."

"We actually didn't mean to stay long," Harry rubbed his neck awkwardly. "We haven't exactly packed yet."

"Oh no, that's fine Harry." Hermione brushed it off with a flip of a hand. "Ron and I completely understand."

"Well mate," Ron said, walking over and giving Harry a manly hug. Hermione walked over to Ginny, hugging her and swaying goofily on the spot, and they could hear the girls laughing. "Take care of my sister yeah?" He said just barely loud enough so neither of the girls could hear over their laughter.

"Always do Ron," Harry said, as they broke their embrace. "Always do." Ron then lankily walked over to his sister, and hugged her goodbye.

"I'll miss you, Harry," Hermione scurried over to him, and hugged him tightly.

"I'll miss you too Hermione." Harry let go of Hermione and she stepped back from him, a smile plastered across her face. She always seemed to have a smile on her face ever since her and Ron started to live together. He couldn't recall a recent memory of Hermione with a frown, and that made him happy. She was happy.

Ron then walked over to Hermione, and gently placed his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Harry," Ginny said, gesturing towards the clock. "I think it's time we head home." He nodded and walked over to the floo network.

"Hey Harry," Hermione called, and he turned around.

"Be safe." A smile spread across Harry's face, and his eyes lit up while he grabbed a handful of floo powder.

"Aren't I always?" He laughed. "I love you guys."

"I love you too Harry,"

"Love you too mate."

*~*~*~*~*

"All packed?" Harry questioned, as Ginny folded her clothes and shrunk them into her tiny purse.

"Just finished." She said, zipping up her leather purse gently, and then threw it onto the chair in the corner of their room. "I think I'm going to go to bed now,"

"I think we both should,"

After both of them had showered and dressed for bed, Harry walked into the darkness to find Ginny already facing his side of the bed, her mesmerizing brown eyes facing his side of the bed. He climbed into bed, and Ginny took notice to this.

"Harry," She whispered.

"You're beautiful Gin," Harry placed his left hand gently on her blanketed waist. She fidgeted a little and looked down at his roughly carved hands. Her eyes followed to his delicately shaped fingers to the shining gold band on his ring finger. She closed her eyes and a small smile crept on her face.

Harry lay mere inches from her, and kissed her cheek softly. Ginny opened her eyes and looked at him for a moment, and lifted her hand to touch his forehead. The roughness of the lightening scar slid underneath her fingers as she traced its unique pattern.

"Does it still hurt?" She asked, lowering her hand back to its original position. Harry took in one last breath before he spoke;

"No," He exhaled. "It doesn't." He pulled back the sheet a bit, exposing Ginny's shoulder that bore a small but noticeable gash two inches above the armpit. Harry brushed it with his palm and he felt sickened by the thought that dark magic had hurt her, but he knew that she was her own woman and was bloody good at standing up for herself.

"I see that look in your eyes Harry," Ginny whispered. "Don't feel guilty, don't feel sorry. I'm quite proud of that scar." She said, pulling down her top a bit more to expose the full length of the scar, which stretched for three inches. He traced it with his finger just as he had done hers.

"Who?" He whispered.

"Bellatrix." She responded back quite calmly, and she felt Harry's hand make a sudden movement, as if he were clenching his fist. She took his hand in hers, and he immediately relaxed. A few moments later, Harry spoke.

"I never noticed how many scars you had," he admitted. "Seems like you have quite a few."

"I do, but I reckon the reason you never noticed is that you had other important things to focus on." Ginny gave a wink and the corners of Harry's lips rose to form a grin.

"I did," He said, gently kissing the tip of her nose. "Let's get to bed, love. We have the rest of our lives to talk to each other."

*~*~*~*


	25. Chapter 25: Stars In The Sky

Chapter 25

The sun had not risen yet onto the city where a young, newlywed couple slept, & the countryside was just barely glowing with a hint of light. Creaking underneath his feet, an older man walked quietly down the stairs, thoroughly convinced that he would meet her downstairs. Only do a few rise at this hour every day, but some just wake because it was impossible to sleep.

"Molly?" Arthur asked, peeking into the sitting room, where he saw his emotional wife sitting with her knitting. She looked as if she had gotten no sleep, and that a tear was running down her aged cheek.

"What has you up at this hour?" She breathed out, and set her knitting down. "You don't have to be at the ministry until a quarter past eight."

"I noticed you were out of bed earlier than usual," He said, groaning a bit as he sat down next to her. "You know I can't sleep long without you lying next to me."

"I know," She whispered. "It's always been that way."

"Now, why are you out of bed this early?" He questioned her, and she fidgeted a bit.

"They're all adults now, Arthur." She whispered and another tear ran down her cheek. "William has a child already, Percy has one on the way, George has Angelina and Fred, Ron and Hermione are madly in love, and Ginny is now gone with Harry." She said, trying to contain her emotions in a few words.

"They're not gone Molly." He soothed her, as he reached around and hugged her closer to him. "They'll never be gone."

"Though, It's all sad. Once you look at it." She breathed out. "They are all at the point in their lives that they no longer need us with them, and they're out on their own."

"But they'll do fine on their own Molly," He reassured her. "We raised smart children. Even if they are a bit stubborn, I'm sure that their spouse will put them right back into check."

"With that I assume you mean Ron and Hermione," Molly laughed as she wiped away a stray tear.

"That too, but I had George and Angelina in mind." He nudged her and laughed along with her. The silence soon settled in once again and Mr. Weasley asked a question; "But Molly, if you don't mind me asking, why is this hitting you now?"

"I honestly don't know." She answered. "I thought it would have hit when Bill and Fleur got married, but once the last one is off, I guess that's really when everything's over."

"Don't think like that Molly, nothing's over."

"I reckon what I am trying to say is that I don't want to," She closed her eyes in the silence and took a deep breathe before she said; "lose another one of them like we lost Fred." Tears streamed freely down Molly's face now as Arthur pulled her into a tighter hug.

"We never lost Fred, and we never will." He whispered as she cried into his shoulder. "Nor will we lose any of our other children, through marriage or blood, we won't let anything happen to them."

"Thank you dear, I needed that." She kissed his cheek, and wiped a few tears off of her face. Smoothing out the skirt of her nightgown, she stood up and walked towards the kitchen. "Now what is it this morning, eggs or pancakes?"

*~*~*~*

Harry got up in one swift motion, already used to getting up at the ungodly hour due to his job as an auror. The art of not waking Ginny was already mastered; Harry walked quietly over to the bathroom and closed the door softly. Switching on the light, he turned on the faucet and bent over the sink. Splashing water on his face, he glanced up at the mirror to see his face dripping with drops of clear water, drip, drip, dripping down to the basin. Raising his finger up to where the scar lay buried into his skin, he remembered Ginny tracing it with her finger the previous night and how she was the only person other than Voldemort that had touched the scar with their bare hands.

Harry stepped into the shower, letting the hot water flow down his torso and the steam fog up the circle-rimmed glasses that lay on the sink counter. He glanced down at his body, Auror training clearly good for his physical build. He also noticed that some scars on his body had begun to fade, others clearly there to stay.

Half an hour passed, and Harry walked out of his room ready for the day, ready for the beginning of his life with Ginny. _'_ _What better way,'_ Harry thought. _'_ _To start my day by waking up my wife. This ought to be fun.'_

"Wake up Gin," Quiet whispers came through Harry lips as Ginny rolled over on her stomach with a groan, wrapping herself in the sheet as though she was wrapping herself into a sushi roll; this Harry chuckled quietly at. "Wake up." He repeated once again. She stayed put.

"No…" She responded into the pillow. Harry rolled his eyes and shook her limp body a bit to find no response coming from her.

"Come on Gin."

"I don' wanna." She whined, her words muffled by the pillow. Harry pushed his hair back messily, and pouted a bit.

"You asked for it…" He muttered to himself softly, and peered around the room to find something to wake up his dearly beloved. Ginny's bag that held her suitcase lay in the corner next to a vase of beautiful lilies preserved from their wedding two weeks previous. Out of thin air, an idea came to Harry and he snatched it, not literally of course. Taking his wand, muttering _aguamenti,_ a short stream of water hit Ginny lightly in the face; her eyes opened at once, a small laugh from Harry and a slight groan from Ginny followed this action.

"So are you up now, or do I have to set your hair on fire also?"

"No," She sat up, pushing her wet hair out of her face. "I'm up, don't worry."

"Good." Harry smiled. "Now are you up for some breakfast? I'm up and ready to make anything."

"Just a piece of toast would be nice, thanks." She swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I'll be out of the shower in a bit, though I reckon I already got a shower today." She glared through thinned eyes, and Harry just smirked as he left the room.

Time passed, as the two young adults got ready to leave on their trip. They spent a while cleaning their flat before they left for their two week adventure, and then they were off to the ministry. With one pop and a bit of skill, Harry landed both of them in front of a restaurant near Piccadilly Circus, another secret entrance to the ministry of magic.

"Harry Potter, what brings you in today?" Robert asked, as Harry and Ginny walked in, hand in hand, into the barren, petite café. A small, circular bar sat in the corner with two stools. Behind it was alcohol stacked on two shelves, to serve an army for a week. The little café only fit four circular tables and eight chairs, the chairs vacant at this hour. On the walls were pictures upon pictures. Pictures of people, pictures of flower and trees, pictures of anything you could imagine was pinned up onto the single wall.

Owner, waiter, and bartender of this little joint, Robert was a middle-aged man, clearly happy, evident from the huge smile plastered on his face. His wrinkles, which little ones he had, would add to his features, only making him more handsome. Robert's hair was brown and smooth, streaks of grey showed age. "No work today I'm sure." He said, extending his hand for Harry to shake.

"No work," Harry confirmed, shaking his hand back. "I'm just here with Ginny to go on a vacation for a while."

"Reckon you need it too." He said, placing his hands on his hips and leaning back on his heels. Ginny stood there awkwardly, squeezing Harry's hand every so often. "Working hard the last few months."

"That I have." He nodded and looked at Ginny. "Been a bit busy with paperwork and such. The wedding threw me a bit off my rocker as well."

"I remember those days. When Charlotte and I were engaged, those were some of the wackiest days of our lives, I'm telling yeah." He laughed. "So, Ron ended up winning the game?"

"It's only a game, not that big a deal." Harry muttered, rocking from his heel to his toes. This Ginny giggled at. "Oh! Robert, this is my wife Ginny. Ginny, Robert." He introduced them, clearly an act to avoid talking of the paper scandel. An apron tied around Robert's waist, he wiped his hands it before shaking Ginny's hand.

"Nice to meet you Ginny, you're even more beautiful than I thought Harry could snatch up."

"Thank you." Ginny said awkwardly as Robert and Harry shared a look. "Harry, we only have a bit more time."

"Well Robert, it's been nice seeing you." Harry said, shaking his hand. "The wall open?" He asked, and Robert nodded.

"Have fun on your honeymoon you two," He said, waving his hand in the air as Harry and Ginny disappeared around the corner.

"This is how you get to work?" Ginny questioned, and Harry shrugged while they made their way down a flight of spiraling stairs to the basement.

"Only when boss is driving me insane, I stop in and get a drink or two." He said, turning into a long hallway. At the end of the hallway was a blank white wall, and Harry tightened his grip on Ginny's hand. Sprinting towards the wall, they slipped through into the ministry, this particular hallway barren of any people.

"Sort of like Platform 9 3/4, just less people." Harry said, walking down the long, stretching hallway. "There's one of these on every floor, just in case you want to come to work with me one day."

"I'll come to your work when you come to mine." She countered, and he nodded his head. "Make you run laps like we do, do the planks that we do, the push ups, the sit ups, the squats, the arm presses. Not to mention the sprints, oh merlin the sprints." She groaned and Harry laughed.

"Reckon it'd be good for me, haven't been to the Auror training center for quite some time. I might take you up on that offer," He said. "Anyways, I thought that you were the captain, don't you decide what drills to do?"

"Shut up," She muttered. "I do it for my team."

With a few laughs from Harry and smacks from Ginny, the two winded. through a few hallways and rode a few elevators. They arrived at a door with a simple key painted onto the face of it, and the plaque that read 'Portkey House'. Harry knocked on the door, and opened it to find a young man sitting at the table.

"Hi, how may I help you?" The man said cheerfully with a smile on his face. Harry guessed that this was a new hire. Every other man Harry knew that worked in this part of the ministry would greet you with a 'What the hell do you want?' and a glare followed.

"We have a port key to take us to Italy." Ginny said, placing a hand on the counter as the skinny worker shuffled his way to the backroom and coming out with a standard textbook.

"Set to leave in five minutes, enjoy your trip." He smiled, and Ginny took the portkey cautiously. Handing it to Harry, they walked out of the room and five minutes later, Harry and Ginny had hold of a glowing textbook and they were off. Spinning in a rapid circle, Ginny and Harry started to laugh at each other's faces, knowing that they both looked absolutely barbaric.

Landing with a thump on the soft grass, Harry and Ginny brushed themselves off and stood up. Harry looked around, confused on at what he saw.

The hills seemed to roll on forever, the fog making each mountain behind each more transparent than the last. Multiple shades of green covered them, trees scattered and little patches of open grass upon the sides of the Alps. Looking down, Harry realized he was atop a mountain, and he saw a city below, the buildings looked as if tiny grains of sand built them. Ginny shivered as a cool breeze flew through them, the air less dense than what was in London.

"Harry," Ginny spoke up, bending down by the textbook that was their portkey. "I knew we should've told that guy our names, this portkey isn't ours."

"What d'you mean?" Harry walked over to her, and bent down next to her. She turned the open book towards him, and he read the tag.

"It's not our portkey." She repeated.

"Whose is it then?" Harry asked, and Ginny examined the front cover to find the name. She gave the book to Harry, and pointed to the name. "The Hank family." He read aloud, and then he set the book down on the ground.

"So, what does this mean?" Ginny asked, pulling a jacket out of her jean pocket and enlarging it.

"I believe it means we have no idea where we are." Harry said, pushing his hair back with his fingers, which Ginny smiled at; one of his many habits she loved. Ginny sighed, and walked over to the large rock and sat on it. Harry turned around and followed her actions, and she linked her fingers with his.

"Only we could do this." Ginny said, and Harry responded by laughing at her statement. "But we should take it as an adventure, it's not like that we'll have this opportunity again."

"We should." He turned towards Ginny and kissed her cheek. "Make the most of it, but first, I think we should find out where we are. Did you double check to see if it had a destination?"

"Switzerland."

"What?"

Ginny threw the textbook at Harry, who caught it with ease.

"We're in Switzerland." She stood up and took the penny-sized luggage out of her pocket. After she had enlarged it, she took the Cleansweep five, one of her brother's old brooms. "And I believe that we should get moving and find a place to stay, or all the rooms will be taken."

"You brought a broom?"

"Well, you can't blame me! It's a practical item to have!" She fought back as she stepped over it. "So, are you getting on or not? Walking isn't a good option you know."

"You're just like your brother…"

"I am not, now get on." Harry climbed onto the broom, laughing and shaking his head.

"You are too." He responded before she took off. Stopping her take off, Ginny asked why. "You both wanted to bring your brooms on your honeymoons."

"I remember that." Ginny said, tightening her grip on the broom. "Now you better hold on tight."

"You got it love," He said, and Ginny pushed off the ground hard, flying even high above the clouds. The more they climbed, the more the frigid cold settled in.

"Love, instead of freezing us, I think we should go lower to find a hotel." He nudged her, and he could feel her smile as they swooped down towards the lower clouds.

*~*~*

"There's _got_ to be a spell…" Ginny flipped through the spell book rapidly, while she sat at a table in their hotel room. "If there isn't I'll…"

"You'll what? Rip its pages out?" Harry teased, drying his hair with a towel. Ginny picked up a pillow and promptly aimed for Harry's head. Trained in the skill of dodging, Harry ducked and smirked at Ginny.

"Bugger off Harry, I'm concentrating here." She pointed to the book, and looked at its pages one more time, she was obviously frustrated.

"What exactly are you concentrating on?" He asked, trying to peer over her shoulder at the spell book, Ginny's head moving to be in the way of his vision. He grabbed either side of her head, and kept it still. "Different languages?"

"Yeah, I think that it might help us being over here. Hermione suggested it before we left, at least I think she did." Harry looked at her, his eyebrow raised. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Okay." Harry nodded his head, peering over her shoulder. "What have you checked so far? What words?"

"Language, German, Italian, different language, dialect…I can't think of any more bloody words." Ginny handed him the book. Walking over to the bed, Harry sat down and flipped through the book for a minute or two before Ginny joined him.

"Why don't we just…speak English maybe?" He questioned. "May be a bit easier."

"Believe me, it's not." She breathed out, and Harry cocked his head to the side, and asked why. "Went to France with Muriel when I was a kid. Some of the worst days of my life, for more reasons than one." Harry nodded and his mouth made an "O" shape, and he returned back to the spellbook.

"Hey, what about foreign?" He suggested. "Have you tried that one?"

"No!" Ginny fell backwards on the bed, and stuffed a pillow over her face. "How could I be so stupid?" Those were the words Harry could make out that were muffled through a pillow.

"Here it is." Ginny sat up and moved closer to get a better look. "The foreign language spell allows the witch or wizard using the spell to speak their native language, although what the words that are spoken become the chosen language. With usage of this spell, the witch or wizard who cast it can understand the other language, as it is translated into their native language for them."

"So that means when you talk English, you're really talking German." Harry nodded and looked at the page once again.

"And they speak German, we hear English."

"Brilliant, now what should we do now? Test it?" She offered, and Harry shook his head.

"I trust the spellbook, they've helped me before." He began to kiss her cheek, making his way down her collarbone. "I have something else on my mind."

"Oh do you now?" Ginny teased. "Well, why don't you tell me what it is?"

"I'm a bit hungry, and I saw a blueberry muffin downstairs that look absolutely fantastic." He stood up abruptly, and Ginny sat there watching him with a smile. He smirked as Ginny tugged his arm, pulling him down onto the bed.

"Though, I reckon this is just as sweet." He muffled in between kisses. Only a few minutes later, the flick of a wand closed the shutters and curtains, blocking the two off from the rest of the world.

*~*~*~*~*

Drying his hair with a towel, Ron walked out of the bathroom to find Hermione, leaning against the headboard reading yet another book.

"Third one this week," He said. "I shouldn't be surprised." He laughed as he threw his towel into the hamper that reside in the corner.

"That you shouldn't," She laughed. "Nine years you've known me and you're still dumbfounded by the fact that I actually like books."

"They're bloody boring," Ron complained. "They just make you fall asleep."

"Whatever you say Ronald." She shook her head with a chuckle, her eyes not leaving the page of the book. Getting ready for bed, Ron pulled on a pair of boxer shorts and walked over to bed and climbed under the covers.

"So have you heard from Harry and Ginny yet?"

"No, but I'm sure we will soon." Hermione muttered, turning the page of her book. Ron nodded his head, and he played with his fingers a bit and then looked at his nightstand to try and find something to do, but all that lay there was an alarm clock with a lamp. Ron sighed and looked back at his hand, and then at Hermione.

"So do you reckon they're shagging?"

"RON!" Hermione said, closing her book promptly. "Why would you ask that?" She asked.

"I wanted you to close your book and talk to me." He smirked. "You can read your book later, I'm here right now."

"So your idea of striking a conversation is asking your wife if her best friend and your mate are shagging at the moment?" She questioned.

"Well, not at _this_ moment, but it's a legitimate question." He countered. "But a man can wonder if his best friend is getting any can't he?"

"Yes, but it's a weird thing to think about, don't you think?" Hermione stifled a laugh. "Ginny's your sister, I thought you would have been more protective of her."

"Harry protected you and I for quite some time, I think my sister is in good hands." He said, fixing the blanket on his stomach.

"That's nice…" Hermione said awkwardly, also fixing her blanket. "My book is lonely, I better read it."

"Mione, your book is not lonely." Ron rolled his eyes, and Hermione shook her head and opened the book.

"Very lonely, aren't you book?" Hermione said. Ron could not believe he just saw his wife, the person she was, talking to a book. An inanimate object. Hermione talking to an inanimate object, who would've imagined?

Ron sighed and laid down, his neck sore from the work out that he endured earlier today. Too restless to close his eyes and sleep, Ron stared at the wall for a bit, and then sat up rapidly.

"Are you tired?" Ron asked, and Hermione exhaled.

"I'm not in the mood tonight Ron," She muttered, flipping the page of the book with her fingertip.

"No, no." Ron said, pushing her arms onto her lap. "I just can't sleep and I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk."

"A walk?"

"Yup."

"At 11:30 at night?"

"That's right."

"Wouldn't you think that's a bit dangerous since London has some drunk blokes wandering down the street?" Hermione said, and Ron fought back.

"Come on Mione," Her heart fluttered at the use of her nickname. Three years she and Ron had been together, and she still was shot to the moon whenever he said her name. "We battled the darkest wizard of all time, we're fine."

"Ron…" She said hesitantly.

"Will you just trust me?" He held out his hand, head cocked to the side. Hermione, not the easiest to give in, proposed another idea.

"I'm not so keen on walking out on the street, but I'd be happy to go on the roof of the building." Ron shrugged his shoulders and pulled on a sweatshirt.

"Sounds like a plan to me." He smiled, and wiped his thumb on Hermione's cheek. "I'll be up there."

"Okay," She said, throwing on a pair of long pants and one of Ron's Chudley Cannon's sweatshirts as nights like this were colder than the rest. Walking the flights of stairs that lead up to the roof, Hermione crossed her arms as she walked onto the roof to find Ron lying on his back looking up at the stars. Hermione walked over to him and lied down next to him.

"It's smiling." Hermione said.

"What is?"

"The moon, don't you see it?" Hermione said, and Ron leaned towards Hermione to see her perspective. "You see, the mouth, the nose, the eyes. The moon is watching us."

"I reckon it always does, we cause so much trouble he has to watch out for us."

"That we do. That we do."

*~*~*~*

"Do you think we should write them?" Ginny questioned, looking at a picture that was hung on the hotel's wall. "Ron and Hermione, we told them we would."

"If you want to, yeah. That'd be nice." Harry said with a yawn as he got up from the chair slowly.

"Harry, you should go to sleep. You're exhausted."

"Am not." He yawned again, walking towards the bed sluggishly.. "It's just been a long time since I've been on vacation, it'll take some getting used to."

"Please Harry," Ginny said. "Just sleep, it's not going to kill you."

"Bloody might." He muttered as he laid down on the bed, and turned off the lamp on the bedside table.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," She said, and began to write her letter to Ron and Hermione;

 _Ron and Hermione,_

 _Well, we're safe and sound now. Unpacked in a hotel, and Harry's already dead tired. He'll be out by the time I finish this letter, I'm sure of it. But to the interesting part, we're not in Italy. I'm writing to you from Switzerland (Yes Ron, this is the chocolate place that you know about). The new worker at the ministry gave us the wrong portkey, and we ended up on the top of the Alps with nothing but clouds and a small forest surrounding us._

 _We found a cute, little hotel to stay in for a night or two. The insides of the hotel rooms have wooden panels as the walls, and all of the furniture is made out of wood, quite beautiful if you ask me. Anyways, we just thought that we would write you to tell you about this, but please don't tell mum, she'll have kittens if she finds out were a bit lost._

 _My eyelids are getting a bit droopy now as I close off this letter. I'll write you again soon. Now, hopefully I can find a bloody owl to send this letter to you, that'd be a useful thing to do, don't you think?_

 _Ginny_

*~*~*~*


	26. Chapter 26: Oh So Sweet

**Chapter 26: Oh, Sweet Chocolate.**

 _Harry and Ginny,_

 _I'm so glad to hear from you two! I had begun to worry that something had happened to both of you. You can't blame me for worrying a bit, though, at least I wasn't as bad as Molly; now she is a wreck from not hearing from you._

 _Nonetheless, I hope you two are having fun in Switzerland. My parents went there when I was a little girl, and they told me it was absolutely breathtaking. I'm extremely jealous of both of you, and I hope that you two are having fun._

 _Well, Ron is wanting to write something now. He's doing that bit where he rocks back and forth on his heels and jumping from time to time. He insists that I'm writing too slow, but I can write so quick, Ronald._

 _Write back soon._

 _Love,_

 _Hermione_

 _Aren't wives supposed to be nice to their husbands, mate? She's a little minx, I'll tell you that. I would try and get you to agree with me, but seeing as your wife is Ginny, I think they girls won this one._

 _So, Switzerland, yeah? That's the place with the chocolate, right? I hope that you bring back some chocolate…merlin, please take the hint._

 _You better have written to mum, or else she is going to murder me to get that letter. She's been badgering us if we've heard anything about you two being safe, and I can only take so much of my own mother. I've told her to bugger off for days; it's constant floo calling and trips to the Burrow._

 _So it was nice to hear from you and all, but it's you're time…alone. You'll be back in a week or so, you don't have to write us. Mione and I didn't write anyone on ours (except for mum, she needed to know we were "safe") you lot deserve this, you've worked hard for everything to get to this point. So, don't bother with us. Until you get back to London, that is._

 _I'm going to end this letter before I turn into a large teddy bear and something else remotely sappy. Just make sure two little bunnies are safe and stay out of trouble, yeah?_

 _Ron_

"Bunnies?" Harry questioned, holding the letter out in front of him, then close to his eyes to inspect. "Why would Ron call us—," His eyes widened in realization and Ginny's head tilted to the side as she watched her husband have one of his little panic attacks. Ginny knew that he didn't have these often, these panic attacks of his. Only when he did have them, they were over the tiniest and most unimportant things. One example would be a day before the wedding when Harry had lost the lily to put in his coat pocket. He could have picked another lily from the garden, but Harry insisted on keeping that one lily in his pocket. It was just a random lily, and he had to have _that_ lily.

"Harry?" He ignored her call for him and repeatedly ran his fingers through his hair, capturing Ginny's undivided attention.

 _How do he do that?_ Ginny thought, biting her lip as she watched him rake his hair into an even messier position, and then back again. _He can capture my heart in a beat by running his fingers through his hair like that. Honestly, I don't know how, and sometimes I think it's a bit unfair. Actually, it IS unfair. If he ever figures this out, winning a few rows will be a lot more difficult than I would have guessed. I can't help but look at him, it's almost impossible. I mean, LOOK at him. How hard is it_ not _to be turned on by that. It's difficult. Very difficult._

Ginny sat there and watched him, trying her hardest not to throw herself at him and demand a good snog. A bubbly feeling rose up her chest as he did this, and she sat in the center of the bed with her legs crisscrossed. "Harry?" He looked at her, and she looked at him. "Tell me what you're thinking, love."

"Ron's a git. That's what I'm thinking."

"Well, I already knew that." Ginny smirked and Harry smiled back at her, and then went back to his situation. "Harry, you shouldn't be having one of your panic attacks right now. Let's not have another lily run, shall we?" Harry nearly shot her a glare for that one.

"Come on, Harry, tell me. I'm sure it's nothing bad."

"He called us _bunnies_ , Gin." He pointed to the letter, and Ginny stared at it for a second. "Don't you see what he means?" She picked up the letter to inspect it, and found the line.

 _"_ _Just make sure you two little bunnies are safe and stay out of trouble."_

Ron's voice played this line over in her mind once more before she burst into laughter.

"Harry," She said in-between laughs. "Love, this isn't bad."

"You know what bunnies do right, Gin?" Harry questioned. As he said this, Ginny got up from the bed and set the note of the small table across the room. She then began to make her way towards Harry, the steps becoming shorter and slower the closer she got to Harry. He watched her every move towards him, and she stopped a mere two feet from him.

"They shag. A lot." She saw Harry wince and then turn to look into the open window; a million little stars covered the dark and infinite canvas. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"Nothing wrong?"

"Harry, you're overreacting about the situation." Ginny said. "And there's nothing bad about being a hypothetical bunny, I'm sure Ron is just teasing you. My brother is notorious for teasing people. Besides, I'm sure he and Hermione are just as much bunnies as we are."

"Though that is probably is true, that image isn't very pleasing right now Gin. I'd like to think about something else other than my two best mates shagging." He cringed at the thought, and Ginny stood up.

"Well, while you think about that, I'm off to take a shower. You wouldn't have a problem with thinking about that image, now could you?" She smirked as she walked to the bathroom. Last she saw before she closed door, a dumbfounded Harry stood by the bed, his mouth nearly touching the floor. Minutes later, she stood by the sink in her towel brushing her lengthy red hair, getting prepared to get into the shower. After she had looked down, she looked straight back up into the mirror, seeing Harry's reflection as well as her own upon the surface.

"What happened to the panic attack?" Ginny asked casually. "Another lily incident?" She teased, and Harry ran his hands through his hair once more. Ginny bit her lip harder than usual and she grabbed onto the towel that was wrapped around her, squeezing it tightly to her.

"No, but you lot should stop teasing about that lily." Harry said, his hands slid casually into his pockets. He was now leaning against the flower-designed wall. "I had a right to be panicking."

"Alright." Ginny laughed, pinning her hair up into a bun with a flick of a wand. "So. Even though I can practically read your mind right now, why did you follow me in here?" She asked, making eye contact through the shiny mirror.

"Like you said, you can read my mind." Harry laughed. "We men are easy to predict with these sort of things. Certain circumstances."

"Okay." Ginny smirked, turning around to kiss Harry. Harry leaned down to meet her, but he was shocked that Ginny had pulled away. He opened his eyes to find Ginny at the sink with her nose scrunched up.

"What?"

"Love, you need a shower. You need it bad." She said, nearly fanning herself to get the stench out of her nose. Harry smelled himself, but he didn't see anything wrong with him.

"Way to put it nicely Gin…" Harry laughed.

"Come on, it's time for you to take a shower." Ginny forcefully pushed off his jacket, letting it fall to the ground.

"You're about to take a shower, Gin. You should go first." Harry took a few steps away, his back hitting the wall.

"You and your damn hero characteristics…" She cursed under her breath, and she looked in the mirror. A smirk spread across her face as a thought crossed her mind.

"Gin, aren't you going to go now?" Harry questioned, and Ginny turned around abruptly.

"Let's be bunnies."

The sentence that took Ginny a mere two seconds to say took Harry at least twenty to comprehend.

"What?"

"I said, let's be bunnies." Ginny said, taking a step closer to him.

"Gin, I honestly _just_ got this out of my head. Why are you bringing it back in?" Harry questioned, and Ginny went forward and placed her arms around Harry's neck. She stood on her tiptoes and placed her mouth next to Harry's ear and whispered;

"Let me get rid of it."

Harry felt a lump in his throat begin to form, and he swallowed. After a moment of thinking, Harry then smirked.

"I don't need a shower, I took one this morning. You just want me."

"Wow, the Chosen One actually proves he has somewhat of a _brain._ Now, come on. The water's getting cold."

*~*~*~*

"ARTHUR!" He heard his name echo throughout his shed filled with Muggle artifacts. The parts of a small bumper car lie in front of him, completely disassembled to the point that the bolts and screws lay in a disorderly pile. The oil from its tank leaked out onto the surface of the table, cluttered with his other recent discoveries.

"Yes, Molly?" He asked as his frazzled wife turned sharply into his shed, and began to stride towards him.

"Have you heard from Ginny?" She asked, her foot stomping slightly on the ground in a pattern. Mr. Weasley's eyes went down to glance at the noise, but then went straight back up to her eyes.

"I haven't," He said, and Molly made an audible sigh. "But that doesn't mean she hasn't written anyone else. Why don't you check with Hermione and Ron?"

"I already have, and they said they haven't gotten anything." She said, pushing a piece of her frizzy hair behind her ear. "Do you think I should talk to them again?"

"No no, I think they're telling us the truth, Molly. Just give it a few days, and an owl will come around with a note." He extended his arm to her face and wiped a splotch of flour off of her cheek. "It'll be alright."

"Are you sure?" She asked. "I'm a little worried."

"It's nothing to worry about Molly. They're married adults now, and they are going to be able to take care of themselves for a week or so." He explained, and he noticed her playing with her fingers anxiously. "They'll be alright, Molly. Trust me."

"Fine." She said, her back relaxing and she took a deep breath. "I guess you're right. They are adults after all. They'll be able to find their way around."

*~*~*

"Right."

Ginny said, looking at the map and moving two steps to the right.

"Okay, let's go right."

Harry said, and followed her steps.

"No, no, no. It's left, let's go left."

Ginny quickly shuffled to the left, nearly knocking Harry over.

"Alright, it's left then—,"

"Wait," Ginny stopped to look at the map, biting her lip while her eyes scanned the map of Lucerne.

"Gin—,"

"Left. Wait, wait, no…"

"Ginny," Harry placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. A bunch of her hair nearly poked Harry's eye out; this Ginny laughed at. "Are you positive were going left?"

"Yeah, I think that it's right."

"So we're going right?" Harry questioned, his eyebrow cocked up.

"No." Ginny sighed and laughed at the same time. "I meant I think that I'm correct. Yes, We're going left."

"Positive?"

"Positive."

"Remind me when we have kids, don't have me leave you alone with them at Diagon Alley. You'll lose them." Harry received a good nudge from his wife, and he simply smiled. They began to walk down a surprisingly smooth road, the incline beginning to steepen.

"Merlin this is steep." Harry muttered as he took another step up the long, winding road. "No wonder why these people look so fit."

"It's only been five minutes, Harry. Come on now." Ginny ushered on. Harry began to move one foot in front of the other and began to follow her up another path. Twisting and turning through multiple paths and seeing little sights, practically going nowhere; Harry and Ginny decided to rest at an old child playground that had been vacated for some time.

"You aren't good with direction, are you Gin?"

"I am perfectly fine with giving directions, thank you." She scoffed with a smirk. "I am the to-be captain of the team right now."

"I think I might know a thing or two about that." He replied. "I meant with following paths and such." He laughed.

"I am certainly good at those too! I can follow a map like it's the back of my hand!" She lied, smacking her leg with enthusiasm.

"Alright, tell us where we are." Harry smiled, and he saw Ginny begin to fidget with her hand. She bit her lip and let go of it in a split second, trying to not show any signs of nervousness as Harry let out a cackle of laugher. "Bit of a liar there are we?"

"Well, it's not like you know where we are!" She exclaimed, using her hands to gesture and nearly smacking Harry in the face.

"Alright, I'll take that." Harry said, smacking his lips together. After a long silence, Harry pulled out his wand and beginning to drum it on his thigh as if he was a drummer for the Weird Sisters. Ginny let it carry on for a while, but after a couple minutes, she needed to do something.

"Harry," Ginny touching his leg, making him stop his drumming. She lifted her hand off, and he began to drum on his leg again. Her hand was placed on his thigh again, the drumming stopped. Lifted, he began to beat his leg once again. Ginny sighed and watched him slap his wand onto his jean-covered leg. "You're going to break your wand."

"I've never broken my wand, Gin."

"Well, would you like me to ask Hermione? I'm sure she could answer that question." Ginny smiled, and Harry rolled his eyes and then took in a breath.

"She broke it!" Harry said childishly, throwing his hands up in the air. "It wasn't me that broke it, it was Hermione. All Hermione, Gin. You can ask her! She was using it for a spell and it just broke and—,"

"Harry." Ginny said, covering his lips with a finger. "Shut it, please?"

Harry let out a small huff and then leaned back far in order to stretch his neck. A comfortable silence fell over them.

"You see those there?" Ginny turned around and pointed to a building, five stories up. Ivy covered the side, its vines twisted and turning amongst each other and wrapping on the plumbing pipes. Multiple small metal balconies hung off the side, items such as clothes attached to the side to dry. The road seemed to disappear underneath the building, to which Harry guessed to be the parking garage. "I believe that's a flat building. And houses, those down there." She pointed to a few houses surrounded by small metal fences, clearly not high enough to keep an intruder out. They were almost as large as the flat building, but no parking garage appeared. Harry peered around to see these building all around, and as far as his eyes could see. Though, that wasn't saying much with his poor vision and all.

"Seems like we're in some sort of…neighborhood." He said.

"I guess so." Ginny muttered, and took a deep breath. Another long and comfortable silence spread over the two before Ginny spoke again. "It feels nice to be away." Ginny whispered.

"I know exactly what you mean." Harry took in a deep breath similar to Ginny's.

"Away from work. Away from family. Away from all of those idiots trying to interview me for all of those gossip magazines." Ginny said, nearly spatting the last one. "From everything." She breathed out the final one and Harry saw her shoulders relax as she closed her eyes.

She began to take in the clean, crisp air that felt as light as a feather. Whilst in London where the air felt like a hundred pound weight on your lungs. Another silence settled over them, a good ten minutes passing without a peep from either. All there was to hear was the chirp of a nearby bird, the sway of the trees, and the motor of the car of an old man clunking its way down to the city. Harry broke the silence in time, and asked;

"But Quidditch is going well isn't it?"

"Work is fine, yeah." She said plainly, squinting as she looked in the way of the sun.

"You guys are in the playoffs, I thought you would be having fun with it or something like that." Ginny scoffed at Harry's statement.

"Fun? During playoff season? No…" She laughed. "Those girls are ready to murder me in the first five minutes of practice. I'm waiting for half of them to turn up at our flat with torches and pitchforks demanding my head."

"So, you don't like it then?"

"No, I love it! Quidditch is like my second lover." Ginny said, and Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Your second lover?" Harry asked slowly, and Ginny nodded.

"When you can't be there for me, Quidditch is. It's one of the best feelings in the world, playing Quidditch. All the stress comes from the paperwork and decisions I make as captain. I still have to give end of the season raises to players, and I haven't even decided who yet. But the aching of the muscles and such is rewarding almost. Says you did something."

"I see." Harry smiled. "So, who are you giving the raises to this year?"

"I don't know yet, honestly. Katie's been the one I've been thinking of most, but I don't know yet." She let out a sigh.

"The team's good this year, at least from what I've seen at your matches. Is the line up any good?" Harry questioned.

"We've got a good line up, yeah. The reserves are alright too, but there's three or four reserves that get on my nerves a little." Said Ginny. "But for two of them, they just got out of school, so you can't blame them."

"And the other ones?" Harry probed.

"Oh, one of the other two just doesn't work hard. So that gets me going and makes her pay for it a little. The other one swears by Witch Weekly like it's her life." Ginny chuckled.

"Witch Weekly? Honestly?"

"Specifically Rita Skeeter, who is their new cover writer." Ginny nodded. "It's rather funny though, because she doesn't know about you and I. She follows that scum magazine, which means there are loads of scandalous rumours going around."

"Still?" She nodded. "It's been three years since the war ended."

"But they have nothing better to talk about, do they?" She said. "They just go around, spreading bogus rumours that they expect people to believe. Only the bimbos believe the scandalous ones though."

"Give me some examples." He said.

"Come again?"

"Examples. Of rumours you've heard."

"Oh, right." Ginny said, going back through the thousand of files in her mind, trying to look for one measly, little rumour. She slapped her knee once she had found the one she had been searching for. "Oh! This one's my favourite."

"Alright, then you should tell it to me."

"Oi, be quiet, will you? You're going to ruin it!" She said, tightening the ponytail on the back of her head. Harry felt a sudden attraction towards her, but shook it out of his head. "Apparently, according to Witch Weekly, you are having a secret love affair with Hermione-,"

"You're joking!" He exclaimed, and Ginny held a finger to his lips once again.

"I wasn't finished." Harry's eyes went cross-eyed, staring at Ginny's finger. She withdrew it slowly and took a deep breath. "And she's pregnant with your child. All of this while she's married to Ron, and I'm not even in the picture here."

"They don't even know about you?" She shook her head. "Blimey. Wouldn't you think they would've caught on by now? I mean, we were just walking around Diagon Alley together last week. I even think I snogged you a few times."

"Yeah, it'll be quite the scandal once we get back." She laughed. "There's probably going to be a new rumour about how furious Hermione got at finding out about this marriage, and how she challenged me to a duel and whatnot."

"And how she gave me another scar where the sun doesn't shine…"

"HARRY!"

"What?" He laughed, and he shook his head. "So what does this girl on your team do? Does she just talk relentlessly about these rumours?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Said Ginny. "The funniest part is that she believes them, so she talks about you _all the time._ "

"Me?"

"Yes, she talks about you. You are the chosen one, after all." She smiled. "I'll just let her have a field day with you, it's bloody hilarious. All the rumours she talks about…it's hard not to laugh at her! But one day she started talking about my brother, I nearly smacked her across her face."

"So you're defended your own brother but not the man who married who and loves you?" Harry pressed on, and Ginny merely laughed.

"Precisely." She smirked. "Now if she started to say that you were good in the sack, I would cut in for that one."

"Good in the sack?" Harry mocked.

"I've learned terms around the pitch, most of them are too crude to even mention using in public. That one isn't all too bad." Ginny explained. "Anyways, she's just a bit of a bimbo, that's pretty much it. But she's one hell of a keeper, I'll give you that much."

"Then why is she a reserve?"

"Quinn is our keeper right now, second best in the league. Working up to beating Oliver Wood over at Puddlemere, and she's only a few blocked shots away from beating him statically." Ginny explained, and Harry took a deep yawn. "Boring you, am I?" Ginny asked, and Harry shook his head.

"No, no." Harry waved off. "You only bore me when you talk of that Muggle soap opera and cartoon you're obsessed with."

"Blame Hermione for the soap opera!" Ginny shouted, loud enough for a few pigeons nearby to fear for their lives and fly away. "It's her bloody fault! And it's not my fault that Fabio is extremely good looking."

"Good looking? Honestly, is he more handsome than me?" Harry gave a wink.

"Definitely." She teased, and he merely shook it off. "You bore me most on Mondays." She said abruptly.

"Mondays? Well, that's understandable." Harry laughed. "But you're a right crick in neck too on Mondays, I'm not the only guilty person here."

"I'll admit it, I'm not all that much of a Monday person either. You're worse though."

"How so?"

"Love, you act like Garfield on a Monday." Ginny laughed at this. "You're just incredibly sluggish and don't want to start off the day."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Harry murmured, and kissed her cheek. "Now, before you go on about how much you love that ginger cat of yours, let's grab a bite to eat." Harry extended his hand, and Ginny just stared into his eyes.

"I'm making you watch my cartoon with me." She smiled. "You'll love it. It's ginger cat and all." She stood up and Harry's arm instinctively snaked its way around Ginny's waist.

"I already love too many gingers in my life right now." Harry said. "No need to add one more."

"You should always have room for one more. Except for the favourite spot because everyone knows who your favourite redhead is." She smiled up at him.

"Doesn't everyone? He's been my best mate for nearly ten years."

 _Slap._

"Merlin, Gin. I was only joking." Harry snickered. "You'll always be my favourite redhead. Unless we have a little girl that looks like you, she might steal your number one spot."

And with Harry mentioning that very thought, Ginny's heart melted on the spot. Imagining being a family with Harry was all she ever wanted. It was all she ever dreamed of. Finally, she knew that her dream was in reach and all that was left was time.

As the two walked down the street, Ginny's head leaned onto Harry's shoulder as they slowly descended down into the busy streets of the city.

*~*~*~*

"RON! Have you seen my book?" Hermione said, flipping pillows off their bed, sending them tumbling onto the ground. She searched near and far for her book, and she was unable to find it. "I can't seem to find it…"

"Which one?" Ron yelled cockily, his feet perched up onto the coffee table with the Daily Prophet spread in his hands. Next thing he knew, his paper was torn away from his hands to reveal his wife standing there with her hands on her hips, her lips were pursed.

"Hogwarts: A History. Have you seen it anywhere?" Hermione asked. Ron's eyes were lingering on his paper that was dangling between two of Hermione's fingers and then they went up to Hermione's eyes. They were staring right into his, a sweet yet determined glare glazed over them. "Well?"

"I haven't seen it, sorry." He replied.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "Because that book is quite large and it's hard to misplace." She said in her matter-of-fact tone. Ron merely chuckled at this.

"Mione, you've read that book at least a hundred different times." Ron stood up, stretching his lanky limbs. "I'm sure that one night without it won't kill you."

"But it might,"

"But it won't." Ron retorted back, and gave a sweet smile afterwards. Hermione rolled her eyes and began to shuffle through a few old newspapers lying on the coffee table. "Mio—,"

"RONALD WEASLEY, I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!"

"What the bloody hell…" Ron whispered, pushing his hair back. Hermione turned her gaze towards his, and a look of uncertainty spread across her face. She was waiting for him to say something. "What should I do?"

"You should talk to her, Ron. She's your mum." Hermione smiling weakly, placing the papers on the table and fanning them out.

"This is the third time in two days, Mione. _Two days._ " He held up two fingers while he whispered this. "You haven't talked to your mum in two months!"

"Well, that's my problem, isn't it Ronald?" Hermione retorted back, but then her face softened. "Please, get on the call with your mum."

"But—,"

"For me." She added, placing a tender kiss on the corner of his mouth. Her eyes gazed up into his, and she pulled him closer to her. "Please."

"Uhh…y-yeah. Sure." Ron stammered, kissing the top of her head and walking over to the fireplace where he could see his mother's bushy hair and hear her voice.

"Arthur, I don't think he's there." He heard her yell, and a silence followed. "Should I see if Hermione's there?" Ron turned his head to see Hermione back away with a step, and Ron stuck his head into the Floo call reluctantly.

"Hey Mum."

He watched as her bushy hair flipped around towards him to see her worried face turn to one with a smile.

"RON." She nearly screamed. "Where were you? I kept calling for you."

"I was busy…" He lied uneasily.

"Then why didn't Hermione pick up the call?"

"I-umm….I was a bit…it was….we-we were a bit busy." Ron said awkwardly, and he heard Hermione in the background trying to stifle a laugh, but not being successful. His mum's face was immediately deflated to a small smile, and she looked away for a second.

"Well then, I'll only hold you for a minute dear. Have you heard from your sister yet? I've been waiting to receive a letter." She asked, searching his eyes for an answer.

"We got a letter, yes." Ron said, and Mrs. Weasley's eyes immediately perked up. "But they only wrote it for us to tell you that they were alright and will be home as scheduled."

"So, they're alright?" She asked, and Ron nodded. He heard a big sigh and then a small chuckle. "Fantastic. Well, I'll leave you and Hermione alone now. Bye dears!"

Ron stepped out of the floo call, exhaled loudly. He turned to find Hermione standing there, trying her best not to smile. Ron looked down sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

"I guess Mum's not calling anytime soon." Ron mumbled.

"She's not." Hermione chuckled. "So I think we should…make use of the time." Hermione walked up to him, stretching her arms to place her hands around Ron's neck.

"You think?" Ron licked his lips.

"Definitely." Hermione smiled, and Ron leaned in slowly. With his eyes closed, he felt a small kiss on his cheek. He opened his eyes to find Hermione standing in front of him with a smirk. "Let's use the time to find my book, shall we?"

"I should've suspected that." Ron muttered.

"Yes. You should have."

*~*~*~*~*

"Look, it's a lion!" Ginny said, pointing to a statue imbedded into the side of a stone cliff. "They even have Gryffindor spirit in Switzerland!" She said excitedly, pointing to the beautifully carved stone lion.

"Gin…they probably don't-,"

"Let me dream, Harry." She smiled, slightly nudging him as they walked closer and closer to the statue. As soon as they got as close as they could, they were squinting to see the details. A pool of water was in front of the cliff, preventing them from moving closer, and the lion was inside of a crevice created for the statue. The lion seemed fatigued and was exhausted over a shield with, what Harry had guessed, the Swiss army symbol.

"Any idea what this means?" Harry asked, and Ginny shook her head.

"I know as much as you do." Ginny shrugged. Harry ran his fingers through his hair as he looked around the grounds. To his right stood Ginny and a few obvious Muggle tourists with massive cameras. To his left was a large gathering of people with a young woman with a speaker at the front.

"I think I know where we can find out." Harry said, grabbing Ginny's hand and hauling her to the group of people. They casually slipped into the back of the group and Harry slid his hands into his jeans pockets. Then, they began to eavesdrop.

"And here we have the Lion of Luzerne…" A tour guide babbled on in front of them, and Harry and Ginny began to creep forward through the crowd to be within earshot of the woman. "Now, as you can see, the lion seems to be tired and not wanting to go on. However, that is the exact opposite. You see, the lion is meant to represent the Swiss Guard, who fought during the French Revolution and fought until the last drop of blood. Now, do you all see that the lion is leaning against a shield?" Ginny stood on her tiptoes to get a good look of the shield, feeling another person's eyes burn into the back of her head. "Carved on there is the coat of arms for Switzerland and the approximate number of men who died, which is 760. Now…"

"You good?" Harry turned towards his right to look for Ginny, but she wasn't there. Backing out of the crowd, Ginny was at the very end just casually standing. "Why did you leave me in there?"

"The lady kept giving me weird looks, I just got uncomfortable." She confessed, playing with the ring on her finger. "So, where do you want to go to next?"

"Well, we already visited that wooden bridge that had the fire,"

"Chapel Bridge…"

"And we already got Ron his chocolate and your dad a Swiss-army knife."

"I still think the knife was a terrible idea, but go on." Ginny commented.

"And we went to _at least_ seven churches."

"Eight, I think it was."

"And then we ate at the market a few times…" Harry said. "And I think that sums up the two days we've been here."

"Not to mention the loads of walking that we did." Ginny said. "But I think that we should go and grab a few things from the market for the long broom ride to Italy."

"So we've decided today will be the day?" Harry questioned, and she nodded.

"Italy better watch out. We've got a Potter Weasley duo coming to wreak havoc on your country." Ginny laughed.

"So we're going?"

She nodded.

"Italy, here we come."


	27. Chapter 27: Guilt & Acceptance

**Chapter 27**

"Beautiful…" Ginny whispered as Harry landed the broom smoothly on the ground high atop the mountain. The moon seemed to be merely a mile away, its full face staring right back into theirs'. After Harry had placed the broom down, he took hold of Ginny's hand and led her to the grass, where they both sat down in the fluff. Although much time had passed, it seemed that it was a brief time before somebody broke the peace.

"I never thought I could be this lucky." Harry whispered, the wind just barely louder than his voice.

"I know…it's beautiful, isn't it?" She remarked, glancing around at all the scenery that surrounded them. Harry turned his head to look at his wife, who was absorbed in the night sky above them. He simply stared at her and took in all her beauty, something that he knew he would never get used to. Her hair seemed to flow brilliantly on its own, and he often finds himself distracted by its mesmerizing effect. He was also very fond of her lips and how they always seemed to be turned into a smile, even when she was relaxed. However, it was Ginny's beautiful eyes that were his number one weakness.

Ginny turned her head slightly, and glanced at the man who gave her a warming smile. She hadn't quite understood the meaning of his words, but he would show her sometime. He planned on it.

"Can I ask you something, Harry?" Ginny asked, playing with the soft grass beneath her fingertips.

"Anything, love." He replied back.

"Do you remember when we talked about our future, and what it would be for us?" She looked into his eyes, and Harry's heart melted instantly. He cleared his throat and then nodded.

"I do, yeah." He grinned. "The small and simple wedding you had always wanted…and a honeymoon you could never forget."

"I'll never forget this, that's for sure." She grinned widely back.

"And to the future, you said three kids with the first one being a boy and the last one being a girl, due to the fact you're the last girl in your family." He turned to see Ginny have a astonished look spread across her face.

"Y-You remember all that?" She asked, and he nodded.

"I remembered that when we were planning our wedding, and the honeymoon. Granted that Hermione practically had the idea of Italy, but it was just our luck to come here as well." He looked down to avoid her gaze, and he could feel her eyes on him. "Has anything changed?" He asked, glancing up at her quickly.

"No." She whispered, and a small silence followed. The only sound to be heard was that of the wind and the trees dancing along with it. "You never told me your future."

"What?" Harry asked, clearly not listening.

"You never told me what you wanted. In terms of your future." She repeated, and Harry looked away.

"I honestly don't know." Harry said, glancing back to her. "My future has always been determined for me, and when I have to think about it, it quite honestly scares me. With you, Gin, I knew where it was going. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you and spend the rest of my days making you happy, but I never really thought about what would happen to me…" He replied softly, staring off into the never-ending mountain range.

"Then why don't we think together?" Ginny said, taking his hand in hers. "Won't be so scary that way."

"Aah…alright." Harry agreed.

"Let's start with…your job."

"My job?" Harry asked, and Ginny nodded. "Well, head Auror…I guess. I mean, it doesn't have to be right away, but it would be nice to be head Auror in 10 years or so."

"Home?"

"With you somewhere away from the city but closer to your parents." Harry replied. "A yard big enough for a Quidditch pitch for Ginny Jr. and Harry Jr. to run around in." Ginny laughed loudly.

"We are _not_ naming our kids that!" She bellowed out in laughter.

"We better think of something better to name them, because I think they would be named after two most gorgeous people in the entire world." Harry winked, a huge smile spreading across his face.

"I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or call you narcissistic." Ginny said, causing Harry to chuckle.

"Compliment, Gin. Always a compliment." He reached around her shoulders, pulling her closer and placing a kiss on her head.

"So, you want two kids?" Ginny asked, and Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"I've always wanted a family of my own, and I'll be happy with whatever happens. I don't think that I could love anyone else more than I would love them." Harry confessed, playing with strands of Ginny's hair. "Except maybe you, of course."

"Except?" Ginny teased playfully, and Harry rolled his eyes. Suddenly, a chilling breeze swept throughout the mountains, causing both Harry and Ginny to shiver. Harry glanced at her, and she nodded in agreement

"Would you like to fly the broom back?"

Ginny scoffed.

"Did you really have to ask?"

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Are you almost ready, Gin?" Harry questioned, throwing a pair of trousers into his bag. He glanced around the room, seeing that Ginny had yet to touch a single one of her things. If they had wanted to be in Italy tonight, they would have to leave shortly. "I talked to a guy downstairs, and he said it's going to be awfully cold if we wait until mid afternoon to leave."

No answer followed his question, so Harry peered out the open window to make sure she was still on the balcony. He saw her legs hugged to her, so he nodded his head and began to pack again. Some thirty minutes later, Harry had finished packing and Ginny had yet to move at all. He took a few steps to the metal balcony where she sat, and saw her clutching a letter. He cocked his head to the side, and leaned against the doorframe.

"Hey Gin, you alright?"

She simply looked up at him, with her eyes indifferent, and handing him the letter. She smiled softly as he took it, seeing she had already read it.

"It's for you." She said quietly, fascinated with a flock of sheep on the side of the mountain that were quite far away. The breeze pushed her long ginger locks in front of her freckled face, but she didn't bother to push them away. She cleared her throat, and then said; "From work."

His heart clenched, and he immediately knew what was in the letter before he had even opened it. Why else would Ginny have sat on the ledge for an hour or so? Her mood also seemed to drop from excited to disappointed at a drop of a hat, but she was trying her hardest to keep that from Harry. She knew Harry too well, and she knew that he would feel guilty about it.

He took a deep breathe before taking out the letter gently, the Ministry symbol stamped on the front. He took one last glance at Ginny, who stared out towards the everlasting mountain range, and saw the sparkle in her eye had died down. A frown made his way on his face, his brow furrowing once more before he began to read;

 _Harry,_

 _We apologize to contact you on your holiday, but we are afraid we have no other choice. There is an urgent message waiting for you at your office, and we request that you return home immediately. The key attached to this letter is a portkey, and will activate as soon as you state your name and position at the ministry. This portkey will transport you directly to the portkey office, where you are free to come into the office the next day. It will leave one hour after it is activated._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Minister of Magic_

 _Kingsley Shacklebolt_

"Gin…" He began to whisper, but she snapped her head towards him with her hair cutting through the air.

"No, Harry. I know what you're going to say!" Ginny cut him off, her voice harsh. Once she realized how she had said it, she shook her head softly while muttering something under her breath. "I'm sorry." She buried her face into her hands and began to take deep breaths.

"You knew what I was going to say because it's the truth, Ginny. I just…can't help it. It's my job." He frowned slightly. He crouched down next to her, placing an arm around her shoulders, tugging her closer to him.

"I know…" Ginny breathed out. "My job too, I'll be gone for the entire month of June next year." She commented.

"Well," Harry's surprised tone was clearly evident. "That's news to me." Ginny looked at him with a laugh, the sparkle in her eye soon returning.

"I guess so. I didn't want to bring it up here, because…well. Why ruin it?" Ginny said, gesturing towards themselves and the beautiful scenery that surrounded them.

"No, just leave it to me to make things worse." He poked at himself, and Ginny giggled. "Let's just be happy I'm not breaking into a ministry this time."

"Harry, you know that you could probably take over the ministry at this point." She laughed, shaking her head. "And everybody would let you."

Harry laughed loudly, pulling her closer and kissing the top of her head.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Ready?" Ginny asked, standing at the bottom of the stairs while waiting for Harry to come down. She heard a small pitter-patter above her and then heard Harry say to wait for him. "I'm already waiting for you, love. Just hurry up." Harry soon turned the corner with a smile, and when he reached Ginny, gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"You've always been the impatient one."

"I am _not_ impatient." She gasped, and he merely winked at her and then walked out into the lobby.

"Think fast." After he turns around, he lobs the keys in Ginny's direction and she catches them with ease. Harry was generally surprised, and his eyes were wide.

"Surprised, Potter?" She winked, waving the keys around on her finger. "Remember…my brother was a keeper. It's in my blood." Harry grinned, decreasing the space between him and Ginny within a matter of seconds.

"I never knew that." Harry said, sarcastically. Ginny rolled her eyes and began to walk away.

"Way to ruin a moment, Harry." She said, still taking her walk towards the door to lead her outside. Harry reached out quickly and spun her into him, crushing his lips onto hers. She instantaneously melted into him, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck. There was visually no space in-between them, yet they both felt the need to be even closer. His tongue ran across her bottom lip, asking for permission and she moaned quietly in response.

It seemed after minutes, hours, and maybe even years later, they broke apart. Ginny's lips automatically turned into a small grin, seeing Harry having a smirk plastered on his face. Still holding onto each other, he hugged her closer and whispered in her ear.

"Yeah, I ruined the moment."

Ginny laughed loudly, walking away from their embrace and noticing how much colder she felt without his arms wrapped around her. She leaned against a wall and watched as Harry strode over to the man behind the bar and checked out of their room. A few minutes later, he strode over to her with a grin.

"All done." Harry smiled, taking a glance at his watch. "We've fifteen minutes until the portkey leaves."

They grabbed each other's hands and walked down the road, which hadn't seen a car in a matter of hours. They made their way through the twists and turns, taking in their last minutes that they can. A few moments later, the key began to glow brightly, and Harry and Ginny were whisked away.

The spinning stopped after a few minutes, and they landed with a soft thud. Harry got up and brushed himself off, extending a hand towards Ginny to help her up.

"Urgent message at your office, Mr. Potter." Ginny giggled, brushing herself off. "I'll meet you there, I'm just going to turn in the portkey." Harry leaned down and kissed her, and he could feel her smile underneath.

"I love you." He whispered, and she laughed.

"I love you too. Now, I'll see you later." She turned and strutted down towards the portkey office, Harry staring for a few moments. He shook his head and then walked in the opposite direction.

*~*~*~*~*

"Hello, Shelly." Harry smiled at the receptionist, and she perked up from her parchment with a large smile.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter. How was your holiday?"

"It was great, but work always calls me home." Harry laughed, and then turned to glance towards his office, which reminded him of what he was told. "I've heard that I have a message waiting for me at my office."

"Oh yes, there are a few people in your office right now, actually." She told him. "They said they were going to give you the message."

"Brilliant, thanks Shelly!" Harry smiled, and Shelly nodded and looked back down to her parchment, scribbling away. Harry strode up the hallway to his office, keeping his head down as he stepped into the room. He glanced up to be met with two faces, staring back at him. His heart stopped beating and his breath hitched upon seeing them. The entire world has seemed to stop altogether.

"Hi, Harry."

*~*~*~*~*


	28. Chapter 28: Reunited

**Chapter 28**

"Grandmum, who's that?" Teddy whispered to Andromeda, tugging on her skirt lightly. His hair was a vibrant turquoise, the same colour it had been the last time Harry had seen him. With the exceptions about how he was quite taller and standing on his own two feet, not to mention that he could form a cohesive sentence.

"Teddy…?" Harry managed to choke out, glancing at Andromeda, who smiled and gave a slight nod. "I can't believe it." He breathed out, still amazed.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Andromeda asked with a slight laugh. She patted Teddy's back lightly and he looked up at her with his wide brown eyes. "Ted, this is your godfather." Immediately, Teddy's eyes seemed to light up like the sun.

"Does that mean he's my daddy?" Teddy said excitedly, and Harry felt his heart rip into a tiny thousand pieces. Teddy looked at Harry, and then nearly exclaimed. "Is mummy coming too, daddy?"

"Teddy…Harry knew your mummy and daddy. They aren't coming, love." Andromeda explained, and Harry watched as the small child's eye lost their spark. Teddy connected his eyes with Harry, and strode up to him.

"My name is Teddy." He introduced himself, and then turned to Andromeda. "This is my grandmum."

Harry chuckled a bit and nodded before answering.

"I know who you are, Teddy." Harry crouched down to meet Teddy's height, a smile on his face. "I've known you for a long, long time."

"Really?" Teddy asked, his eyes curious. "Like _how long_?"

"Really long. Ever since you were born." Harry replied enthusiastically, his voice animated.

"Really?" Teddy perked up, and Harry nodded.

"Ever since you were 'this' big." Harry held his hands about two feet apart, and Teddy grinned.

"Whoa! That's a long time!" Teddy exclaimed, turning back to Andromeda. "Andie, did you know that he's known me for a long time?" Andromeda laughed before nodding her head, and the boy turned back to Harry excitedly.

"It's not that long, Teddy. That's only a few years old."

"I'm two! That's a looonnnnnggggggg time." Teddy exclaimed once again.

"You're still little, bud." Harry chuckled, reaching out and ruffling the turquoise hair. "It's not _that_ long."

"It seems really long!" The little boy retorted back, and this caused Harry to give out a small hoot. Harry stood up and then faced Andromeda.

"When did you get back?" He asked as Teddy began to tug on Harry's arm and play with his watch.

"Three days ago." She replied. "We received a letter from Ron saying that all the death eaters had been imprisoned, and that it was safe to return." Harry nodded in understanding.

"So, I assume that you were the urgent message?" Harry questioned, walking over to his desk and shuffling through a few stacks of paper. Teddy followed him and stood right behind him, but Harry didn't mind.

"Yes, we were. However, there was really no need for them to make it an urgent message. I even told them that. They believed something different, apparently." She laughed softly.

"No, it's quite alright." Harry said with a warming smile. "We made use of what time we had."

"I'm quite sure you did." She hinted with a small chuckle. Harry's mouth hung wide open, and then he shut it to avoid embarrassment. "And I'm incredibly sorry we couldn't make it to your wedding, dear. It must have been absolutely beautiful." Even the memory of that day makes Harry feel like he is on cloud nine. He smiled down at his paper, writing a few notes down before remarking;

"Best day of my life."

There was a small silence before Andromeda made a small addition to Harry's words.

"So far." She smiled softly, and then glanced behind Harry's head to see Teddy looking at the collection of photos Harry had on his desk.

"Who's that?" Teddy questioned, pointing to a picture of Ginny taken on their wedding day. She had been dancing with Ron, and she was laughing uncontrollably and looking absolutely beautiful.

"That's my wife, her name is Ginny." Harry answered. Teddy then turned to a picture of Ron, Hermione, and himself taken at the beginning of second year by Colin Creevey.

"That's you!" He giggled, pointing to the picture. Harry laughed along with him and nodded. Before he knew it, Teddy had wrinkled his nose up and his eyes, which were before a mesmerizing brown; were now a flawless emerald green. His hair changed to a shining black colour, messy as it could ever be.

"His hair is usually the turquoise colour, we lived near the shore when we were in the United States." She said, lovingly looked at Teddy. "He loved it over there."

"Where was this? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"North Carolina, I believe it's called. I'm not expecting you to know where that is though." She said, and noticed the door was beginning to open. Harry stepped out of the way and into the middle of the office, standing nearly in front of Teddy.

"Harry, what was the—," Ginny stopped short upon seeing who was in the office. A small smile spread across her face and she began to stutter. "I-um-he-I-uh-hi." She finished lamely. Andromeda gave a slight chuckle, followed by a warming smile.

"Hello dear." Andromeda's eyes were soft and kind, Ginny relaxing almost instantly.

"Is that Teddy?" Ginny asked, hinting towards the small boy hiding behind Harry. Harry gave her a nod and stepped out of the way so she could see him. She was shocked at how big he had gotten, even though the last time she had seen him was after the battle. Teddy smiled shyly and looked down, shuffling to find his way behind Harry once more. Harry placed a hand on Teddy's head and ruffled his hair slightly. A pinkish blush soon spread across Teddy's cheeks, and Harry gave a small laugh.

"I'm sorry hon, he's usually much more outgoing than this." Andromeda apologized.

"I think I know what's going on." Harry laughed with amusement. He turned and crouched down to meet Teddy's eyes. "Hey bud, do you want to tell me why you're so shy?"

He shook his head.

"Well…do you want to whisper it to me?" Harry said hopefully, looking into his eyes to see that they no longer resembled Harry's but were now a beautiful shade of brown. Teddy then nodded his head slowly. Harry leaned forward as Teddy whispered into his ear, a smile growing on his face with every word.

"I'm not mad." Harry whispered after he had told him, the grin still present on his face. Teddy's anxiety faded quickly and a small smile even formed on his face. "Just don't steal her from me, yeah?"

"I won't…" Teddy blushed, slowly inching back. Harry stood up, and then Teddy soon found his way back behind Harry's legs.

"Oh…" Andromeda muttered in realization, and then she gave a hearty laugh. Ginny glanced around the room, utterly confused on what was going on. Andromeda noticed this and leaned closely to whisper to Ginny;

"I believe Teddy has his first crush."

"Who—oh…" Ginny soon came to the thought and smiled. Teddy hadn't noticed her yet, because he was still hiding from her behind Harry (who wore a large smirk).

"I've got competition." Harry remarked, ruffling Teddy's hair, which was now a lively red colour.

"His hair…is he like her?" Ginny asked Andromeda.

"He doesn't quite have total control of it yet. Though, he loves to play around with it." She smiled. "Anytime he's overcome with a strong emotion, it just automatically happens."

"How long did it take Tonks to get used to it…control it?" Ginny questioned cautiously, watching for Andromeda's reaction to her question. She hadn't known if the death of her daughter still had a great affect on her, or she was comfortable to have conversation about it.

"Ahh…" She responded, pondering the question. "Five years or so. Including the whole nose bit she loved to do so much."

"I remember that." Ginny said softly with a smile. She glanced over at the older woman, who was looking at Teddy with a loving glint in her eye. "How are you? I mean, since you left."

Andromeda nodded her head slowly, and took a deep breath. "It's been hard, obviously. Just as hard as anyone else who lost a loved one. There will always be a hole in my heart that can never be filled." She said, a hint of sadness in her tone. "But certain thing can help patch it up and make is less painful."

"Teddy…" Ginny whispered, and Andromeda nodded.

"He keeps me going. He's the sunlight of my life, and reminds me that things will always turn out alright, no matter how hard it is." She whispered, and then laughed slightly. "He even brings me my slippers in the morning. I know it seems like nothing, but I found that it's the little actions that show someone's true personality."

"He'll be a great kid." Ginny added, and Andromeda smiled in response, watching Harry with Teddy. The now Turquoise haired child was being whooshed though the room like an airplane, complete with Harry making the accompanied noises.

"And he'll make a great father." She remarked, pointing to the two boys across the room.

"I know…absolutely perfect." Ginny muttered as she watched Harry's eyes light up as Teddy laughed loudly. Suddenly, she felt a stab on the back of her head, similar to the corner of a piece of paper. She turned around to find Ron holding a paper airplane, a lopsided grin on his face. Nobody had even heard the door open, let alone remember this was also Ron's office. She flung herself into his arms and Ron laughed.

"You know, Mione's been a nutcase since you two left." Ron remarked, and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"It was only a week, Ron."

"Hey, you don't know the ability Mum has to send letters and annoy the bleeding hell out of you." He muttered into Ginny's ear, careful not to have Teddy overhear him.

"Believe me, I know…"

"You'd be surprised." Ron said. "Mum can—,"

"Ron!" Harry said, walking over and giving Ron a hug (Ron claimed it was a 'manly' hug after Ginny had kindly teased them).

"Mate, how was your trip?" Ron asked after giving Ginny a glare for her 'non-manly hug' comment.

"It was great." Harry glanced over at his wife, who gave him a seductive wink and a sweet smile. "Lots of memories."

"Yeah… sounds like fun." Ron finished awkwardly.

"He's really trying to ask how many times you shagged, Harry. I know my husband too well."

"OI! Mione! There are innocent ears in here!"

"I hope you don't mean yourself, because I surely know—,"

"I MEAN TEDDY." Ron cut her off and pointed to the child sitting in Harry's desk chair. Hermione's mouth hung open as she glanced to the child who was throwing crumpled up pieces of paper into the rubbish bin. Hermione shied away, clearly embarrassed.

"Grandmum! I've made it every time!" Teddy said excitedly, bouncing up and down in the chair pointing to the rubbish bin. Ron gave Harry a skeptical look and Harry suddenly had a sudden interest in the blank white wall. Teddy threw another piece of paper, which was headed nowhere near the bin, and it veered of its path straight into the bucket.

"Charmed it again, mate?" Ron said smugly.

Ginny had never seen Harry's face turn that shade of red before.


	29. Chapter 29: Complications

**Chapter 29**

Before any of the Potters had noticed, two weeks had gone by since their honeymoon had been cut short. Harry found himself buried in work, the death of three Aurors plaguing the offices with low spirit and plenty to keep everyone busy. Ginny, on the other hand, spent most of her days devising new plays for her Harpies to perfect down to the tee. She had held a few private lessons with her seeker to teach her the technique of a wronski feint, a move that her seeker desperately needed to learn.

While Ginny wasn't working, she was watching Teddy over at their flat. Some of his toys had migrated their way over, so he had a whole bin full of toys to play with. Teddy, being the mischievous little boy he was, most of the toys would wind up in opposite ends of the room. Ginny even found one in the oven one day, not quite sure how it had gotten there.

The day after they had reunited, Harry and Andromeda returned to her old home to find it in complete shambles on the soil. Arthur and Molly took them into the Burrow, and often went over to help with the rebuilding of Andromeda's house. Only the first floor was being rebuilt, seeing as the second floor was unnecessary because there were only ever going to be two people. In order for Andromeda to work on the house, Teddy would come over twice a week. He spent most of his time with Ginny, Harry joining in later in the day after work (which was Teddy's favourite part of the day, much to Ginny's knowledge).

"Harry!" Ginny called for him, staring around at the mess that covered her kitchen. She pushed back her fiery hair in frustration, not knowing what to do. She groaned inwardly, staring at the young child sitting at the table who seemed unaware of his actions.

"Yes, love?"

"I need your help in here!" Ginny replied back, grabbing a towel and beginning to wipe up the soup off of the counter.

"I'm kind of busy at the moment."

" _Kind of?_ What do you mean by kind of? _"_ Ginny asked with an exasperated tone.

"Well, I'm busy. What exactly do you need help with?"

Ginny gave a small groan and sighed, wiping a dot of tomato soup off her forehead with a towel.

"I need help killing Voldemort, what do you think I need help with?" She snapped, tossing the dirtied towel in the sink and picking up a clean one. She looked over at Teddy, who was wearing a wide grin. "HARRY."

"Yeah, alright. I'll be right there." Harry answered, sensing Ginny's irritated tone.

Harry turned up in a few seconds, his emerald eyes growing wide as he walked into the kitchen. He looked at Ginny sympathetically, walked over to her and taking the towel from her hands.

"What happened?" He asked, looking over at Teddy who held a wide grin on his face. Ginny claimed Teddy was going to be a real charmer; his smile was enough to win her over in a heartbeat. She would imagine any other girl would be the same.

"It's started, Harry. He's only two years old, and he's already doing magic! Levitated the blasted bowl and spun the soup everywhere. Doing all of this with a smile as big as the sun." Ginny gestured towards the mess, and Harry nodded his head. Then, he pulled out his wand and muttered 'scourgify' and the kitchen was even more spotless than it had been before.

"Now, your kitchen is perfect." Harry smiled, placing a kiss on Ginny's hair. "I can take Teddy in my office, if you want. Some of his toys somehow found their way in there, so it wouldn't be too much of a trouble. You seem a bit stressed."

"No, it's alright. You need the peace and quiet more than I do. And even so, I was just going to drop him back off with 'Dromeda in a bit, anyway. Maybe stop by to talk to mum for a bit." She stated, smiling as Teddy began to bounce slightly in his chair.

"Okay, you do that." Harry bent down and kissed the corner of Ginny's mouth, leaving her in a pout once he pulled away. "You had soup on your lips."

"Sure I did." She laughed quietly as she glanced over to Teddy, who had wandered over to the microwave and began to press the buttons at random. Harry slid his arm around Ginny's waist pulling her tight to his side, and she leaned her head against his chest. They watched as Teddy's eyes lit up when the machine started to work, then stopped. He pouted slightly before poking a few more buttons to see if it would start up again. A small laugh escaped her lips.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Harry questioned, his eyebrow cocked.

"Not quite."

*~*~*

Ginny knocked swiftly on the door with one hand, holding Teddy's small hand in the other. He looked up with her with another wide grin, his signature look. It took a few seconds before the door opened widely to reveal a smirking face.

"Mum! Little twat is here—,"

"George! Don't call Teddy that."

George gave an audible sigh and rolled his eyes.

"I mean the older one."

"Oh, your sister—I-you-uh-Don't call your sister that!" Mrs. Weasley scolds George while walking into the room, smacking him on the back of his head. "Are you still a child?"

George ignored the question, and smirked at Ginny.

"Is Fred here?" Teddy asked, his eyes lit up. Mrs. Weasley smiled lovingly, and nodded her head. The young boy then let go of Ginny's hand and ran as fast as he could into the sitting room.

"Little twat, huh?" Ginny joked, nudging George playfully as they watched Mrs. Weasley walk in after the little minions.

"I mean it lovingly, of course." He muttered as Teddy tackled little Freddie onto the couch, and then proceeded to jump on the couch as well. George and Ginny slowly followed them into the sitting room, standing in the doorway as they watched.

"Mum's got to be thrilled about the sudden spurt of young ones." Ginny commented, watching Fred launch a pillow in Teddy's direction, smacking him in the face.

"Oh yeah. She _adores_ Freddie, says he's just like me when I was his age."

"And you're sure that she likes it?" Ginny poked, followed by George giving a hearty chuckle.

"Of course. Who can resist this beautiful complexion?" This comment received an eye roll from Ginny.

"You and Harry talked yet?" He questioned after a moment of silence, the tone becoming more serious. She took a glance toward George, who was looking at the family portraits hung to the side. Progressing from just Arthur and Molly all the way to the one taken at Harry and Ginny's wedding, a sea of people crunched into one photograph.

"About kids?" Ginny questioned.

"I mean—it's been three years, right? Not including the time in sixth year you neglected to tell us about."

"I guess so. We've talked, but I think we're waiting." Ginny answered.

"Good, cause I want to keep you as innocent as possible. Just because he's the chosen one, doesn't mean—FRED WEASLEY, YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE." George muttered curse words under his breath as he went to stop Freddie from squishing Teddy to the floor. He returned with a crying Fred in his arms, flailing about.

"I'm too old for you to hold me Daddy!" He whined, kicking and screaming. "Let me go!"

"No." George said, smirking in Ginny's direction.

"Daddy!"

"Alright, alright." George gave in, placing Freddie on the floor. "But if I see one more smack down, I'll make sure your mummy gives you one, alright?"

Freddie's eyes grew wide before nodding quickly, running off towards Teddy. Teddy was ready with a pillow, Fred getting a face full of feathers when he ran in the room.

"Is he scared of Angelina?" Ginny asked, and George nodded his head with a loud laugh.

"Oh yeah. Ange is brilliant with him, she loves him to death, but if he does something wrong, he gets an earful."

"Just like you used to get, young man?" Mrs. Weasley questioned, popping up behind the two of them.

"Just like me. Hey mum, can you keep an eye on them? I want to challenge Ms. Holyhead Harpie here to a little game of Quidditch." His eyes sparkled with mischief, a smirk on his face.

"Sure dear, just make sure you two are safe."

"Mum still thinks we're nine years old." Ginny commented to George, ignoring the fact that her mum was still there. "Even when I'm on a professional Quidditch team and married, and you run a shop and have a family."

"You don't think I know how that feels?" George said. "And don't you think that because you're on a Quidditch team means you'll beat me."

"Oh, that's exactly what I'm thinking."

"OI." Mrs. Weasley said loudly. George tried to hide his laugh behind his hand, laughing at his mother's uncharacteristic outbreak. "Get out there before I change my mind."

"Yes ma'am." George saluted, quickly running out of the back door, Ginny following suit.

About an hour later, George and Ginny walked in, laughing and giggling like a pair of school children.

"Who won, dears?" Mrs. Weasley asked, cleaning up a puddle of milk on the kitchen table.

"I won!" George exclaimed, a bright smile on his face. Mrs. Weasley looked over at Ginny, who gave a slight nod. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my son is probably wrecking havoc somewhere…" George muttered, sliding by his mother, giving her a peck on the cheek as he did. As soon as he was out of earshot, Mrs. Weasley turned towards Ginny.

"Now, dear, who _really_ won?" She questioned, her eyebrows raised.

"Let's let George think he won." Ginny said with a smirk.

*~*~*

"HERMIONE."

After hearing her name, Hermione let out a sigh as she sat her book down on the table and walked into their bedroom. Clothes were strewn about the room, the books scattered aimlessly about. Her eyes grew wide as she walked in, finding Ron seated in front of the closet, dumping another box of things onto the already cluttered floor.

"What have you—," She whispered, looking around, but Ron quickly cut her off.

"Have you seen my wand?" He asked hastily, shuffling through the items that were in the box before.

"I haven't." She answered, still in shock, her eyes scanning the room. "Why is our room like this?" Ron let out an audible sigh before answering.

"Why do you think, Mione?" He snapped. "I can't find my bloody wand! What else do you expect me to do?" Hermione crossed her arms, and then looked at Ron.

"I expect you to not behave like a three year old child, and to not make a disaster of our room!" She answered. "I was in the next room! You could've asked me to help you find it."

"But I didn't want your help! I didn't need it. I can find my wand on my own, I don't need to be babysat." He retorted back.

"Because you're clearly doing a brilliant job on your own." She spat back, and Ron looked her in the eye.

"Why are you so angry?"

"Why are you being such an incompetent arse?" Hermione shouted angrily. "This is all," She gestured to the mess. "For a wand that I could've easily summoned for you. But no, you had to be all manly and get it yourself."

"Hermione…" He said softly, as Hermione muttered a spell, Ron's wand flying into her hand.

"It was on the dresser." She handed it to him, his eyes thanking her and apologizing all in one look. "And I, clearly, can't sleep in here with all of this stuff in my way. So I'll be sleeping in the guest bedroom, you have fun cleaning this up."

Hermione turned on her heel and walked straight out of their room, the slam of the door following her departure.

*~*~*~*

Away in the office, Harry focused on the letters that he was writing, finding it increasingly harder with each letter he crumpled up. The words had yet to be formulated in his mind, let alone putting the pen to the paper. The words, if there were any, were hard to choose. He'd been on the receiving end of this before, but he certainly hadn't found out in a letter, he had witnessed it. The most important people of his life gone, but he knew the truth of the matter, he had had been there. These poor people, on the other hand, would find out their lives had changed by Harry's scratches and his uncertain words, never sure if the truth was, in fact, true. He could feel the burden crashing down on him with each flick of his hand, making another word on the page he knew wouldn't improve the letter at all.

His eyebrows were furrowed together, his eyes strained behind his circular glasses. With a sigh, he took them off and rubbed his eyes, the stress of life starting to wear on his mind. Surely he'd been through tougher situations, obviously. He just didn't like to be the person to put others into those circumstances.

With another letter ruined, he crumpled it up into a tight ball and threw it at the wall with a shout of frustration, just loud enough to be heard faintly in the next room. Trying to pull himself together, he gripped the edge of the wooden chair firmly, taking deep breaths and closing his eyes tightly.

Behind him, the door silently eased its way open, Ginny quietly peeking her head in. She found Harry like this, hearing him muttering a few words that she couldn't make out. His head was down, his eyes certainly closed. With his back to her, she slid across the floor carefully with no sound being made. When she reached him, her arms wrapped around him, her head leaning on his shoulder. A soft sigh escaped Harry's lips, and he instantly relaxed into the embrace.

"Everything's going to be okay." She whispered into his ear, rubbing her thumb over his arm. He took a deep breath before responding with;

"I guess so."

"You know so, you've gotten through worse things. You can do this, love." She encouraged, hugging him tightly. "Do you need help?"

"No, I don't think you can help me." Harry ran his fingers through his hair, furrowing his eyebrows together before Ginny met his gaze. Her eyes were worried.

"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?"

"YES. I'm alright, Ginny." Harry quickly snapped, Ginny jumping backwards a bit in shock from the sudden outburst. She shook her head slightly, blinking rapidly. "I said I'm fine."

"I think you should stop for a little bit." Ginny said warily. "You're really tense."

"I'm tense?" Harry questioned. "Gin, I'm not even close to tense. I'm frustrated." He turned his back to her, running his hand through his hair once again.

"Frustrated…" She questioned, and he nodded slowly, still facing away.

"It's all coming back. The nightmares, the battles, the deaths that—," He stopped, and turned around. Tears were streaming down his face, his eyes filled with despair but with a great deal of frustration. Ginny stood there silently, not sure what to do.

"Harry, you can get through this, I know you can." She repeated.

"I'm sorry, Gin, but you don't. You weren't there when I was searching for horcruxes. You weren't there when I had to save everyone's lives. It was all on me—,"

"You want to know the reason I wasn't there, Harry?" Ginny asked. "It was because YOU left me. You told me to stay behind, because you wanted me safe. But I wasn't safe at all. Tortured by the Carrows almost every day. Constantly in pain, wondering when you were going to come back, and whether or not you would. And if you did come back, I wondered if you would actually want me. And now, after all that, you think you're alone in this? We all lost someone or something close to this, so you are clearly not alone."

"Nothing's changed. Everyone's who is gone will stay gone, and absolutely nothing has changed. All of the feelings are still there, and they won't go away." He yelled with a great deal of frustration.

"You can't think like that, Harry!" She said, desperate for him to see things through. She needed him to understand. However, with what she saw, it didn't seem it would turn out well.

"You just— You don't understand!" Harry shouted, his hands flying up. "You losing one important person in your life is not equivalent to the amount of people I've lost! You don't know what it's like."

Her face went blank, her eyes wide. Her expression looked as if she didn't believe it, like he would never say anything like that. But he had. Harry stood across the room, motionless, as he watched her blink a single tear that rolled down her cheek. His heart dropped through his stomach. Of the few times he'd seen her cry, he knew that he hadn't caused it. However, this time was different, and he couldn't do anything. He couldn't take it back.

"Gin…" He reached out for her, grabbing her hand gently, which she yanked out of his grasp forcefully. She gave him one last look before she spun away, slamming the door behind her. Harry acted quickly, opening the door she just slammed and running to her. He turned her around with his hands on her shoulders.

"Let me go!" She yelled, thrashing out of his grasp. He moved her shoulders so she was looking at him, but her eyes refused to meet his.

"Look at me." She still refused. "Listen to me, Gin." Her expression fell flat, and she stopped moving. Out of fear, Harry let go of her and watched as she backed away from him slowly.

"Don't call me that." She warned, her voice threatening to crack. "Don't even try."

"Please, let me explain." Harry pleaded as she went over to grab her bag on the table. She turned and gave him a look that he couldn't figure out what it meant. A million emotions trapped into one, blazing look.

"There's nothing to explain, Harry. You don't understand my circumstances; you've never gone through them. I don't understand yours, so I let you be. So what makes you think you know mine?" She slung her bag over her shoulder. "Don't even think about coming to find me." She spoke her final word through her teeth, holding onto her bag tightly and walking out of the front door. She was about halfway down the stairs; she heard a door slam and heavy feet running down after her. She quickened her pace as she made it to the street, crossing into the alley where she would apparate.

"GINNY!" He ran out on the street, his chest heaving up and down. She spun on her heel, making eye contact with Harry for a small second. He stood on the other side of the street, hoping she would come back. His eyes were filled with despair and self-hatred, his emotions threatening to spill over.

 _Please._ He mouthed, but she gave him one last look before she was whisked away from reality.


	30. Chapter 30: Pity

**Chapter 30**

 _Captain of the Holyhead Harpies Missing_

 _By: Lavender Brown_

 _Ginevra Potter, captain of the Holyhead Harpies, was reported missing on Tuesday. Witnesses say that she was last seen rushing out of her flat, apparating in an alleyway across the street. She was said to have looked distressed, followed by a similar looking Harry Potter in her wake. However, Mrs. Potter apparated away before Mr. Potter had a chance to catch her. Mr. Potter and her family have both declined to divulge any information._

 _Katie Bell, star chaser of the Holyhead Harpies, spoke to us about the sudden disappearance. "She'd missed three practices by the time we knew something was wrong." Said Bell. "She'll come to practice on her death bed, so the fact she missed that many practices left the entire team in shock."_

 _The Auror office is working diligently to find Mrs. Potter, her husband rumored to be the head of this personal case. Also, if you happen to see Ginevra Potter, please contact the Ministry of Magic immediately. The Daily Prophet will be following this case, and more information will be released once it has been discovered._

Harry set down the article on his desk, his furrowing his eyebrows as he took off his glasses. Stress had really begun to set in on Harry, the constant work and worry clawing away at his mind. His face was pale white, and his eyes were shrunken and bloodshot from lack of sleep. What little sleep Harry did get was at his office, only returning back to the flat to get clothes. The few hours of sleep he managed to get were by potion; he couldn't sleep without writhing about in his bed, eventually waking up from nightmares. Food was a rarity for him, as he was putting everything he had into finding Ginny, even if that meant skipping a meal or two. He was starting to lose weight, faster than he should, and Hermione had tried to talk to him about his health. However, that conversation ended with Harry shouting and Hermione feeling incredibly embarrassed as the ministry workers stared.

Walking through the ministry proved to be harder than Harry thought it would have. The looks of pity that people give him were enough to double the stress on his mind. With all the time that he had to do, he thought more and more of how the situation happened. None of it should have happened, Harry thought, if I had just sorted things out by myself.

However, something troubled Harry more than anything else had.

He thought of one of the last things he said to her before she left. Everything was coming back; nothing had changed. Since then, he had realized he was completely wrong. So wrong, in fact, that he felt he had insulted her. Ginny had changed his life, and saying that nothing had changed, served as a blow to Ginny. And now that she was gone, he was right. Life hadn't changed after all. He had made sure of that.

"You alright, Potter?" His boss loomed around the doorway, startling Harry. He cleared his throat before answering a muttered yes. His boss looked at Harry closely, noticing the wear on Harry's eyes, and he shook his head. "No, you don't seem like it. You should go home."

"It's fine," Harry replied, straightening out some papers. "I'm fine."

Harry watched as his boss sighed loudly, rolling his eyes slightly. He walked over and took the seat in front of Harry's desk, looking him straight in the eye.

"You need to go home, you're pushing yourself too hard. It's not going to hurt anyone but you."

"But the case…" Harry argued.

"Is personal, I get it. Believe me, I do." He sighed. "But, no matter how hard you work, if you're not ready when the time actually comes, it'll all be for nothing."

Harry knew that his boss understood was going through. Everyone knew that a death eater had killed his wife during the war. She had been taken hostage as a distraction for the Auror office, managing to sneak in a few death eaters in the ministry. Apparently he had gotten there just in time, but watched as the death eater took her life. Nobody dared to mention this to him, not even whisper it while he was in the office.

"Sir, I only mean to help."

"I know you do." He said. "Now, go home. That's an order. We have other Aurors on the case, it'll be taken care of."

Harry opened his mouth to argue, and then quickly shut it.

"Of course, sir."

Harry shook his boss' hand, and they both stood up.

"I'm afraid I must leave now, Mr. Potter. And I believe you must do the same."

Harry nodded, his head hanging low. His boss gave him a small smile, along with a pity look like the others gave him, and left Harry's office. A short while afterwards, Harry followed suit.

*~*~*

Harry walked into his flat, locking the door behind him, finding the room to be the same as he left it all that time ago. Ginny's empty coffee cup was still on the table, and the scrunched up papers were still littering the floor around the flat. The bed was unmade and hadn't been slept in for a week, Harry taking the couch when he was actually back at his flat.

Running a hand through his hair, Harry furrowed his eyebrows together as the details of the case all came crashing down. The reality of it proved to be too much for him, as a massive headache pounded against his skull. With a groan, Harry made his way over to the medical cabinet where they kept all the potions, pulling out a small purple vial. Harry gulped down the potion mere seconds later, and his headache was gone almost instantaneously.

Across the room, Harry heard the doorknob begin to shake as someone tried to get in. He put down the vial, drawing his wand out and pointing it towards the door. A few seconds later, the door opened and Harry instinctively launched red sparks towards the intruders. With a shout, the intruders dove to the side, dodging Harry's spell by the inch.

"OI MATE." Ron yelled.

"I understand the precaution, Harry, just don't try and kill us." Hermione said, brushing off her jeans and picking up her bag. Harry let out a sigh, his shoulders instantly relaxing. Hermione gave a weak smile as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder, and Ron shrugged his shoulders.

"What're you doing here?" Harry sighed, putting his wand on the kitchen table. Hermione gave him a small frown, another look of pity. Harry felt his heart drop; feeling awful that now his best friends were giving him those dreaded looks.

"We just heard around the grapevine that you'd come home, and we just thought we'd stop by." Ron offered a lopsided grin, and Harry avoided looking at either of them.

"That's nice, thanks." Harry said awkwardly, sitting on the couch. The pair followed Harry's actions, taking the sofa next to him. An uncomfortable silence followed. Harry sat, twiddling his fingers as Ron patted a small beat on his leg.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione asked softly. "I know this is hard for you."

"I guess you could say it's hard, yeah." Harry avoided the question, hoping she wouldn't ask again. Hermione sighed audibly.

"Mate, we understand it's hard. We're going through this also, but we need to make sure you're alright. We've already lost Ginny…" Ron spoke. "And we don't want to lose you too."

"You're not going to lose me, guys." Harry said. "I'm just spending a lot of time at work, that's all."

"We hope so." Hermione added, a smile on her face. "Now, we know how tough the past week has been on you. So, we brought over a few things to, I don't know, lighten the mood." Taking out her bag, Hermione pulled out a game of exploding snap, a six-pack of butter beer, and every flavour beans from the depths of her bag.

The rest of the night resulted in Ron beating both Harry and Hermione in every game that was played; Ron proved that no cheating had been used whatsoever. Although Ron proved this, Harry still remained skeptical. Hermione, being a lightweight drinker, had gotten a bit tipsy after two butterbeers and a few sips of firewhiskey. She was soon dancing on top of the coffee table, as Ron danced the Irish jig next to her. Harry couldn't remember the last time that he'd had this much fun, let alone the last time it had just been the three of them. After all the fun had died down, Hermione set the tele to some Muggle talk show before falling asleep. Despite all his attempts, Harry couldn't stay asleep for more than five minutes without jumping back into reality.

Soon after Ron and Hermione had fallen asleep, Harry heard a small sound come from the back corner near the door. Awkwardly getting up, careful to not wake either of them up, he made his way to the door to find a note had been slipped under the door. His eyes grew wide as he recognized the mark immediately, his stomach dropping rapidly. Ripping open the letter, Harry's eyes scanned over the message, immediately knowing what he had to do. Grabbing his cloak, Harry left the flat with a small scribbled note on the table, saying he was out for food and would be back soon.

*~*~*

Dressed in black Auror robes, Harry turned a sharp corner, making his way down a dark alley in central London. Nobody in the area seemed to notice him, nor did they care if they had. The bustle of the square seemed to be revived at night, the nightlife bringing in some odd sites. The women towered over the men, wearing the most absurd heels known to mankind. Blokes on the side of the street were handing out illegal items, dressed in the darkest colours so they could fade into the night in case they were to get caught by the police. So, a man dressed in black robes didn't seem too far a stretch for the nightlife of the city.

Harry maintained a steady pace through the alley, twisting and turning through the confusing maze until he finally saw what he came for. The building was made of red bricks, black bricks outlined the door of the safe house. The Aurors had a theory that the black bricks were said to be cursed and would harm anyone who tried to pass. However, Harry had to take the chance if he wanted to find what the letter had said would be there. And he wanted this information more than anyone could ever imagine.

Harry stepped up to the door with large strides, but stopped before the door to examine it. After a few seconds of this, Harry carelessly walked through the door without a single care in the world. No harm had been done, at least, no harm that could be seen. Harry drew out his wand, muttered 'Lumos' and glanced around the room. To others, it might have seemed to be merely a vacated home, but Harry knew much better than to think that.

"You came to see me?" A mysterious man made his way down the stairs, his black cloak billowing behind him. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he gestured towards the crumpled up paper in Harry's fist. "I see you got my note."

"I did." Harry said steadily, keeping his emotions calm.

"Honestly, I'm quite surprised to figured that one out, Potter." The man said, circling Harry like a vulture circles its prey. Harry kept his composure, not moving an inch. "I didn't think you were clever enough to decipher the code."

"There was hardly any code to decipher." Harry poked. "It seems like the one who generated it wasn't as clever as he originally thought." Harry said through his teeth, the stare of the anonymous man burning through Harry's mind.

"Wasn't the purpose of the message to get you here?" The man asked.

"Yes."

"Well, then it worked, didn't it?" Anonymous said, gesturing towards the empty room. "You're here, alone with me. There's nothing to save you but your little wand and the mind you think is so clever. But, let me ask you, Potter. How could a man, so cunning, go into a battle he knew he was going to lose?"

"I never said I was clever." Harry spat.

"But, oh. It's was implied, Potter." Anonymous smirked, a feeling of anger and hate rising through Harry's veins. "And, seeing as the doors are all closed and locked now, there's no way for you to escape. Have you really thought this through, soldier?"

Harry grit his teeth down before he hissed his response;

"More times than you could imagine."

"Oh, look at this. Potter's got himself a temper." Anonymous cackled, stepping closer to Harry. With a flick of his wrist, the man sent Harry flying, pinning him up against the wall. Harry struggled against the invisible binding, even though he knew it was no use. The man laughed evilly in his face.

"Tell me where my wife is." Harry demanded, still struggling against the binding. Anonymous seemed shocked by Harry's demand, his head cocked to the side with confusion.

"Your wife?"

"You know who I'm talking about, you evil bastard. That's why I'm here." Harry spat at him, his voice rough and dark. "Now tell me. Where is she?"

"Not with that language, I believe I deserve a bit more than that, young Harry." Anonymous spoke down to Harry, obviously having no respect for him. "Can we try this again?"

"Can you tell me where my wife is?" Harry asked, a pleading look in his eye. And he could've sworn, just for a moment, he saw a hint of pity cross the man's eyes. However, whatever pity he saw quickly vanished as the man released Harry from the wall, causing him to crash down on the floor.

"Very good, Potter. Much better." He taunted as Harry picked himself up off the dusty floor, brushing himself off. The man walked over to the fireplace in the corner, and stood by it. "Now, if you want to see your wife, you better shut up and follow me. Also, give me your wand. I don't want you getting any ideas."

Harry had no choice but to do what the man said.


	31. Chapter 31: Sacrifice

**Chapter 31**

"GINNY." Harry's eyes grew wide as he turned the corner, to see that his wife was tied recklessly to a chair. She was alive, and had clearly fought her kidnappers. Her mouth was half open with dried blood caked on the corner of her mouth, and her eyes held a glazed look that showed the fear she had had for the past three weeks. The fire that she had in her eyes was slowly dying out, disappearing faster by the second. They hadn't fed her much or given her water, as her cheekbones were prominent and her lips were bleeding because they were so chapped. But she still held a bright smile as she saw Harry, the fire rekindling in her eyes. As soon as he could, Harry ran as fast as he could to her, his leg screaming in pain for him to slow down, but he couldn't. He wouldn't.

When he reached her chair, he quickly worked at the knots that tied her tightly to the chair, his fingers shaky as he did so. The pain from his leg affected his whole body as he winced each time he moved an inch. Ginny sensed his pain, his eyes worried and her eyebrows furrowed.

Once he finished the last knot, he stood up only to have Ginny launch herself towards him a second later. Her hands wrapped around his neck as she pulled him into a tight hug, a small sob escaping her mouth. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her as close as he physically could, putting his face into the crook of her neck.

And in that moment, he forgot about his leg and about the battle happening on the other side of the mansion. He forgot about the last day of physical torture and emotional pain. Nothing else crossed his mind other than the fact that Ginny had made it through, day by day, and he finally got to see her. He got to hold her close to him, and there was thing that was certain. He was never letting go.

"Can you walk, Gin?" He let go of her, wiping the blood off the corner of her mouth with his thumb gently. She nodded with a smile, leaning on the top of the chair slightly. "It's not that far to the ballroom, you'll stay there as I fetch Ron from the library."

"What's he doing in the library?" She said, her voice cracking and weak. Harry grabbed her hand as they walked as quickly as they could out of the room, Harry being careful of her condition.

"He's in there holding off your attackers. I have to hurry if I want to make it before something goes wrong." Harry replied quickly, limping down the hallway with a small groan of pain. Ginny's eyes grew worried.

"I'm going with you." She replied. "I'll be okay."

"I found you nearly dead, slouched against a chair. I am not letting you go into this, it's too dangerous." He winced, a sharp corner turn shooting pain through his leg.

"Harry, I know what I'm doing. I'm doing what I want to, and you can't stop me, no matter how hard you try."

"Gin…" He muttered, shaking his head.

"No, I'm going. I've been through hell for the past three weeks, and now you feel like you can tell me what to do? I don't think so, Mr. Potter." She scoffed, turning to see Harry's face holding a smirk. "What's so funny?"

A silence followed her question as they weaved through a few more hallways, the sounds of crashing glass and screams getting louder and louder as they grew closer to the sounds of shattering windows and battle cries. Harry attempted to move faster, his leg not allowing him to. Ginny's eyes grew wider as the sounds became more prominent, and her pace grew as well. They both turned the last corner to find an array of colored spells flying out of the open archway. A ginger head popped in and out of its archway, accompanied by shouts of spells and swearing.

Ron jumped back into the hallway, hearing the footsteps coming from the hallway. His eyes lit up and Ginny began to run to him, a smile on both of their faces. Hope had been found again, but was quickly being pulled away. Harry screamed as he limped towards them, but he was too late. A loud screech was heard as a blinding green light filled the room, the room automatically falling into a deafening silence. The only sound that could be heard was Ginny's cry as she watched her brother's body fall and land limply on the ground.

*~*~*~*

 **Twenty-four hours previous**

"Come quietly Potter," The man whispered, staying close to the shadows and blending in with them, almost making it impossible for Harry to follow him. The only thing that kept him on the path was the faint sound of the toe of the man's shoe making contact with the alley floor. "And don't let anybody see you. We don't want to make too much of a mess just yet."

Harry stayed quiet for most of the journey, not chancing anything as the man weaved his way through London streets, avoiding any sign of life at all costs. Harry even saw the man jump when a rat scurried out of a rubbish bin, cowering away and not making a move towards his wand. Harry tried to hide a smirk. Then, after a while, Harry began to wonder about the man who was taking him to merlin knows where, and why they hadn't apparated in the first place. So he decided to have a little fun.

"Your name." Harry asked, after a long silence had gone between them.

"You'll find out soon enough." The man said faintly, staring straight forward and still leading Harry through the carefully picked barren streets. Harry followed him with a quicker pace, now directly next to him.

"I'd like to know now, if you don't mind." Harry said casually, sticking his hands into his pockets. The man looked over at Harry with disgust before his eyebrows furrowed together and a troubled look shot across his eyes for a small second. It was quickly replaced with the unyielding look that was there only a few seconds before.

"Well, Potter, that's not your choice." He cackled. "Also, might I remind you, that you are the one who is at risk here. Defenseless and weak with emotion. You could easily, and most likely, be killed at any second. And you're pushing me for my name? Not your smartest move, boy."

"I've already come to terms with the worst possibilities." Harry lied easily, pushing the thoughts out of his head. He knew that this man could kill him without any problems, but he couldn't think of that. Although it was ages ago, he could hear Ginny's young voice telling him _anything's possible if you've got enough nerve._ "Now your name."

"Quiet Potter!" He seethed. "My name is no matter to you."

"I say it is, if you're the one who's going to kill me. I'm sure the newspapers would love to know it, if only I could pen it down…" Harry mocked, a small swagger in his step.

"If only you could pen it down? Ha. Oh please boy, don't be so full of yourself." His voice was quiet as he slithered through the alleys, Harry following. "And, if you must know, my name is just my name, there's no value to it. The Dark Lord's name is the only name that will ever be of any importance to me."

Harry stayed quiet after that, knowing he did enough to just push his buttons, and watched as Anonymous quietly talked with himself for the rest of the walk. Harry found it surprising as he led them through a few major streets, completely ignoring the walk sign at major intersections; which, in returned, they received quite a few colorful words and near death experiences.

Then, somehow, his thoughts found their way to Ginny.

His mind always did that, redirected its way to Ginny. A smell, a touch, anything related to her, and his thoughts vanished and were replaced with her. No matter the inconvenience, she was there. She was his beautiful distraction from reality, and he didn't know how he survived the time without her. She was in his mind, every waking second in the two weeks she had been missing, and all he felt was overwhelming guilt.

It was Harry who had snapped and said those awful words, sending her away to who knows where. Every moment he cursed himself to not immediately running after her, but instead hesitating and standing there with a shocked look smacked on his face, before running after her. All of this trouble could have been resolved had he just had an ounce of courage to run after her. But he was scared, so he didn't.

He reckoned that, because he didn't run after her, that was the reason he had to go through all of this trouble. It was his fault, so he had to pay the price, no matter how expensive. He could pay with his life and it would settle well with him, as long as he knew Ginny would be okay. To him, that was all that mattered at the moment. Her.

And he wasn't going to let anybody get in the way.

"Stand back, Potter." Harry shook out of his trance, realizing they had stopped at the backdoor of a small bookshop. Apparently this was their final destination, although it seemed to Harry that it was a bit much, building up so much anticipation for just a small bookshop. But Harry didn't ask any questions; he had already done his bidding with the devil for now.

Anonymous drew his wand, pointing it towards the backdoor, when Harry heard a noise come from behind him. Harry's eyes widened as he quickly turned his head, and the only thing he saw was a stunning spell inches from his face and a small glimpse of his attacker before his vision became a fading blur and then nothing at all.

*~*~*~*

"Well, I told you to do it with magic, Walters."

Harry's eyes opened, a slight groan escaping his lips as his eyes slowly adjusted back to normal. A large crack was in the middle of the room, which Harry quickly realized his glasses were cracked on his right lens. Pushing his glasses up by scrunching up his nose, Harry surveyed his situation. Bound to a chair with more than a few ropes, he was sitting in the middle of the room. He was in a large drawing chamber with windows as tall as his flat building, dark curtains stretching to the floors. A large mirror was placed slightly above Harry's height in the chair, opposite him, watching the two men argue. One of them, who had been declared as Walters, and another man whom Harry had not seen before.

"Why should I do it with magic when I can do it with my hands, Cameron? I am perfectly capable."

"The boy isn't stupid, he can untie the knots with his hands, it's just rope. Now secure them with magic."

"Why don't you, if my knots are so inadequate." Walters mocked arrogantly, rolling his eyes.

"I swear, you act like a child sometimes." Cameron mumbled as he walked up to the back of Harry's chair, magically tightening the ropes. "You see, it wasn't too hard, now was it?"

"Easier with my hands…" Walters mumbled.

"You shut it." Cameron said, pointing towards Cameron.

"You shut it- I think Potter's awake." Walters interrupted, nodding towards Harry. Cameron walked over to Harry's chair, tipping it forward slightly. Harry leaned forward with his weight, his eyes shut tight. He felt the chair fall back to its original position, teeter for a second, and then sit back in its original spot.

"He's out." Cameron said. "Are you sure it was just a stunning spell you sent at him? Are you sure it was the right type of red?"

"The right type-" Walters asked, not able to believe what he heard. "I know my spells, you blithering idiot. I don't know what's wrong with him." An awkward silence was shared between them, and then Walters asked;

"What should we do?"

"Well, I have no clue. Do you have any idea what we should do?" Cameron asked Walters, and, again, Walters' face contorted to the look of disbelief.

"No. I just asked you, did you not hear me?" Stuttering over his words, Walters gave him his reply. His brow furrowed and he glanced over at what appeared to be a stunned Harry. "Should we Crucio him?"

"No, the Master said not to, remember?"

"Oh…right." Walters trailed off. "Well, we can't lay a finger on the boy. We'd get strangled for what you did to him on the chair. We haven't gotten any orders yet, we can't do anything."

"Well, in that case," Harry spoke loudly. "I'm awake." A choking noise came from the back of Walter's throat, and Cameron's mouth just hung wide open.

"Potter, you-," Cameron said, repeating you as he walked towards Harry with his finger pointing. Once he regained his speech, he said, "You were just stunned two seconds ago."

"There was enough time to adjust while you two bickered like a married couple." Harry smiled. "Well, what're you going to do with me, lads?"

"So much you can't use your snarky mouth afterwards." Cameron snarled, his face inches away from Harry's.

"I thought you couldn't hurt me, you don't have any orders." Harry reminded, and Cameron's face fell.

"Well, we don't." He said pathetically. "But we will soon." He then pulled Walters to the opening in front of the window, thinking it was far enough away for Harry not to hear.

"Okay, so what do we do then? The boy has us cornered!" Walters said loudly, and Cameron shushed him.

"Stall, I guess." Cameron answered, and Harry chuckled quietly at their uncertainty. It was like watching dumb and dumber, he thought, only Death Eater edition.

"I think we should ask him."

"Who?" Cameron asked in a high pitch voice.

"The master." He said through his teeth, nudging towards the door. "Let's just leave Potter for a few minutes—,"

"Are you crazy? We'd get burned alive! Or, if they let us off easy, we'd still get stuck with the night watch for that girl again, and you remember how miserable that was. I don't want to go through that again."

"Girl?" Harry poked innocently.

"Some ginger girl, what's it to you?" Cameron said, earning a hard slap from Walters, right across the face. Harry's heart swelled, knowing two facts about Ginny. One- That she was alive and two- she was close, most likely in the same building.

"That's his wife, you idiot!" Walters yelled with a groan. "Everybody knows that, Cameron."

"You don't have a wife, boy." Cameron laughed, looking at Harry. Harry raised an eyebrow to challenge him, and Cameron's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "You don't have a wife, what're you? Seventeen?"

"Twenty four, actually." Harry informed him. "Seventeen was a while ago, I was just a kid then. I'd like to think I've matured a little, grown into my features a bit…"

Walters and Cameron exchanged a look, both of them shaking their heads. "You haven't really, still look boyish." Walters explained.

"I think it's your eyes." Cameron added, and Walters quickly agreed. "What do you think Walters, do you think it's the color?"

Walters walked up to Harry, picking up a lock of the black hair with his wand. "I think it's his hair and his eyes. Still has the teenage boy haircut."

"So now you're criticizing my hair too?" Harry laughed. "It's not like I do anything about my eyes, I can take that. But now my hair? I thought it looked good." Harry feigned offense.

"You have rebel teenage hair, trust me." Cameron said. "I used to be a hair stylist."

"A hair stylist? A _hair stylist?_ " Walters asked, laughing through his words. His eyes seemed to water as he laughed, and a smile was stuck on Harry's face. Cameron just looked confused. All of a sudden, a booming sound filled the room as the door swung open and all expressions dropped. Harry even thought he heard Walters give a little whimper. The same man who had lead Harry through the alleyways strode into the room, his black cloak billowing out behind me. He walked straight to Cameron and Walters, who stood next to each other, their posture straight.

"How long has he been awake?" Anonymous asked, glaring at Harry, who watched the scene with a small fear climbing in his chest. He could take care of Dumb and Dumber, but certainly not the man who could clearly put him in pain.

"Only a few seconds sir, we were just about to alert you." Cameron replied politely, avoiding looking in Anonymous' eyes, which were observing the two men's posture.

"Thank you, gentleman." Anonymous said, turning his body towards the chair. Harry's heart rate increased, and he tried not to show the fear that he held in his throat. "I'd like to have Potter to myself now, if you don't mind."

"Certainly not, Master." Cameron said, bowing slightly. "We'll be guarding just outside the door until you come out."

"No need, it'll just be a quick talk." Anonymous dismissed with a mischievous smile. He glanced at Harry, who held the stare with Anonymous until the two idiots left the room. That's when Anonymous held up a thick chain in front of Harry's face, letting it dangle for a few seconds. Harry cleared his throat.

"A chain." Anonymous laughed.

"Yes, very good, Potter." Anonymous laughed as he secured the chain tightly around Harry's thigh, over the fabric of his jeans. Harry watched with a confused look. Anonymous looked up with a strange smile. "It's reassuring to know you have a nice vocabulary."

"I'm glad." Harry said, choking through his words. He watched as Anonymous drew out his wand, muttering a spell pointed towards the chain. Harry's eyes grew wide as he saw orange spread throughout the top of the chain. Anonymous walked away with a mocking whistle, closing the doors behind him as the orange spread through the chain. A small shout of fear escaped Harry's lips as he fought against the restraints, staining the ropes red. He shouted after the man as the orange on the metal spread, and he quickly realized what the chain was doing.

It was heating up.

He could feel the energy from the metal transferring through his jeans into his skin, a tear of frustration rolling down his cheek. He knew he couldn't do anything to save himself, but he didn't stop trying for as long as he could. His wrists and ankles received more damage, screaming out with the pain caused by the rope digging into his skin. He angrily slammed the chair into the floor, screaming as he watched the metal gain heat.

Soon, the sizzle of the jean material could be heard, and Harry stopped struggling. He let out a miserable sigh as he looked down at the chain, a desperate sob escaping his lips. He accepted the inevitable, and that, no matter how hard he tried, there was no escape to what was about to happen.

Leaning his head back, he took a shaky breath, closing his eyes as he felt the scorching metal come in contact with his cold skin. Harry bit his lip as he felt the chain dig through his skin, drawing blood from his bottom lip. After a few seconds, Harry let out a excruciating cry as all of the material was singed away, the blistering metal in full contact with his bare skin. His screams filled the room to the edge, his throat becoming increasingly dry as his cries came one after another.

His skin crying for any sort of relief, he sat there with tears rolling slowly down his face, the room echoing with his desperate screams.

*~*~*~*

"Harry, mate. Wake up."

"Let him be, Weasley, his leg is nearly singed off." Harry heard the voices as his leg stung, causing him to scrunch his eyes tightly.

"What's goin' on?" Harry slurred, opening his eyes slightly. He reached for his leg, wanting to rip the chain off his leg. He reached for it desperately, but Dawlish held his hands down to the cushions of the sofa.

"You're safe, mate. Just relax for a second." Ron said, pushing Harry onto his back.

"I need to get the chain-," Harry fought, reaching for his leg to pull the chain off.

"There is no chain, Harry. We took it off you as soon as we could, and applied an ass load of Dittany. That's what you're feeling." Ron explained, and Harry, for the first time in what felt like days, felt a smile on his lips.

"Weasley, stop it." Dawlish warned. "We're on a mission, this is serious."

"Fuck off, my best mate just got his leg seared off like a damn turkey leg. Have a little sympathy." Ron snapped, Harry giving a small laugh.

"Ron? Being sympathetic? Never thought I'd see the day." Harry joked, wincing as Ron added another drop of Dittany. "When'll this be good enough to walk on?"

Dawlish and Ron exchanged a glance, questioning each other as to how long. Dawlish shook his head, while Ron shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't know, sorry mate."

"You want to try walking on it?" Dawlish questioned, looking at Harry's leg. "Most of the muscle tissue has rebuilt itself, and all that's left is the skin where the buckle was."

"Yeah…I'll try." Harry groaned as he sat up fully, swinging his legs over the side. Ron held out his hand as leverage for Harry to use, but he refused it.

"Harry, take my hand." Ron warned, reaching out again.

"I'm fine, mate. I can do this." Harry snapped, pushing himself off the sofa all at once. All of his weight switched to his right side, his left side shooting pain up and down his leg. He winced, but didn't show much discomfort.

"Can you walk?" Dawlish questioned, and Harry nodded. "Are you sure?"

"I can walk, now where are we going?" Harry questioned as he limped towards the door, Ron and Dawlish catching up with ease.

"Find Rodolphus, first off."

"That's who he is?" Harry exclaimed, what might have been a bit too loudly. "Bellatrix's husband. That's who that man was?"

"You didn't recognize him?" Dawlish asked as they walked down the hallway, Harry struggling to keep pace.

"I knew I had seen him somewhere, I just couldn't place him." Harry said, turning a corner just a little too sharp and causing a wave of pain to shoot up his leg. He let out a small cry as he leaned on the wall, all his weight on his left leg.

"Mate, you can't go on."

"I can, and I will. Now let's go." Harry snapped. "He's in the study right?" Ron nodded as they made their way through the halls, Dawlish leaving to help the other Aurors find the accomplices. They turned the corner to find the study doors wide open, and Rodolphus Lestrange standing on the other side of the room, a smile on his face.

"RON." Harry yelled after Ron. Still charging forward, Ron kicked the door open with his foot, the door swinging open with a violent bang. His blazing eyes found Rodolphus, who happened to have a smug expression on his face. Striding over to him, Ron seized him by the collar of his shirt, raising and pushing him aggressively against the wall. Harry's eyes opened wide as he watched the situation unfold.

"Where is my sister?" The words spat out like venom on Ron's tongue, directed towards the husband of Bellatrix, who still appeared arrogant. He merely laughed. Ron's eyes darkened, leaning towards him so he could feel the hot breathe on his cheek. "Oh, you think this is funny?" Ron hissed, spitting in the man's face. Rodolphus smirked and then prolonged the word he said;

"Hysterical."

Ron's reaction was immediate, pushing him further up the wall. Rodolphus seemed to struggle, but kept his cocky face, as if he had something against them. Like he knew something they didn't.

"Tell me where my sister is or your insides will paint the interior of this room. Is that understood?" Ron seethed, and Rodolphus merely cackled, choking as Ron shoved him harder against the wall. Ron's eyes held a wild gaze into them, as if he had turned completely mad. He turned to back to Harry, and his eyes grew wide as let Rodolphus fall to the ground. Harry turned around, only to be missed by a red stream of light, inches from his face.

A mob of men in black cloaks stormed into the room, screaming and shooting an array of spells towards Harry and Ron. A spell missed Ron by the tips of his fingers, sending it flying into Rodolphus' face, knocking him straight into the wall, and leaving him unconscious.

Harry and Ron spun around, sending spells flying towards the men, any spell that came to mind was sent in the intruders' direction. A man in the corner was giggling as a set of purple hands tickled him on his side, while the man next to him was hit with Harry's Sectumsempra.

"LEAVE ME." Ron screamed as different colours of spells swirled around him like a lion circling its prey. But Ron was too clever for this, as he turned the spells back on their casters and sent them back against the walls, knocking a few of them unconscious. More spells came, so many in so little time. "GO GET GINNY."

"But Ron-" Harry said, staring at the scene as he stood there blankly. He watched as the whirlwind of colors flew by him, and he didn't even move an inch. He didn't know what to do. The reality of the mission hit him like a stampede of hippogriffs tromping over him, and his mouth became dry. His leg was throbbing, the pain in his leg like a thousand cruciatus curses hitting a single spot at once. He zoned out as Ron talked to him, but the words that Ron were saying never went through Harry's mind.

"HARRY DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT I BLOODY SAID? GO GET HER. NOW." Ron roared over the commotion. Harry took a few seconds to register what he had said, and he turned on his heel and ran out as Ron screamed, "GO" while he threw spells back at whomever he could.

Ignoring the pain in his leg, Harry ran down the hall with as much power as he could muster, hearing the sounds of battle disappear behind him as he gained distance away from the library. He went down countless hallways, searching in and out of open doors, shouting Ginny's name as he sprinted. The darkness of the hallways seemed to swallow him whole, until he saw a bright light.

"GINNY."


	32. Chapter 32: Strength

**Chapter 32**

The waiting was the worst part.

The ticking of the clock was the one of the few sounds to be heard in the otherwise silent waiting room. Harry's eyes were stuck to it as another second passed in a never-ending loop of ticking, another second going by after the previous. The footsteps of the healers were barely audible along with the quiet whispers as they chatted amongst themselves, whether it be about the patients or which healers shared a quick shag in the storage room (Clara and Lewis, according to what Harry had overheard).

The entire family was there to wait for an update on Ron's status, even Charlie, who had come from Romania after his father had contacted him. Fleur had single tears running down her cheeks, her usually rosy cheeks matching her red nose. Bill sat next to her, a distressed look on his face as he wiped tears off of her cheeks. Charlie and Percy were both leaning their heads against the wall, their eyes closed. George was constantly pacing, muttering to himself as he strode from one point to another.

Hermione, on the other hand, was in a state of shock. After she had attempted to fight her way into Ron's room, her body and mind had simply given up. Sitting in a chair for hours, she hadn't moved an inch. Her gaze was still set straight forward, her bloodshot eyes unfocused. She held Harry's hand tightly, the only way Harry knew that she was still there. Otherwise nobody would have noticed her.

It had been hours since they had arrived at St. Mungos, and still there was no word on either Ginny's or, more importantly, Ron's condition. Harry knew his wife was a fighter, and that she would walk out of that hospital bed as if there weren't bandages wrapped all around her. Even taking that into mind, he still worried. He couldn't bear to bring his thoughts to Ron, but that's all he could think about.

As for Mrs. Weasley, she was as distressed as anyone expected her to be. She sat with her husband on the worn leather couch, his shoulder wet from the tears of his wife.

"I can't lose another one," Molly sobbed into her husband's shoulder, gripping his shirt tightly. "I c-can't Arthur."

"Shhh Molly, everything will be fine." He replied to her while rubbing her back, his expression showing he wasn't sure of what he was saying. "It'll be just fine."

Harry hoped, for both his family and for selfish reasons, that Ron would come out of this. Whether he have a limp or permanent scar on his forehead, he just wanted his brother back.

"Mr. Potter." Someone called out, Harry's head snapping up. His eyes met with the healer who had called his name, and she gestured towards herself. Harry picked up his body from the chair, ignoring the small pain from his leg, and walked over to the doorway. She held the swinging door open for him as he limped through, hearing the door swoop behind him.

"Is something wrong with Ginny?" Harry asked the woman as she strode up beside him.

"Ginevra is more than okay, we are just needing to keep her overnight to observe her, in case we missed anything." She informed him, and gesturing towards a door on the left side of the hallway. He opened it to find an office. "However, your wife will not be the topic of our discussion."

"Oh." Harry spoke shakily, as he sat down in the seat across from her desk.

"Yes, I need to ask you a few questions about the attack, if you are able to answer them."

"Is he okay?" Harry asked, completely ignoring her last statement. He fidgeted in his seat, his discomfort level increasing rapidly. His palms were getting sweaty and his arms because restless.

"Mr. Potter, we are here to-,"

"Can you just tell me if he's alive?" Harry interrupted, clutching the arm of the chair with white knuckles with his eyes squeezed shut. "Please."

The healer hesitated for a moment, shuffling through a few papers as she put off her answer. She let out a loud sigh, and then met Harry's eyes.

"He's alive, but barely." She told him, a professional tone to her voice. "We have done everything we can to keep him alive temporarily, but we need to know more about his injury so we can cure it. Which is why…"

"You brought me here." Harry finished her sentence, and she nodded with an apologetic smile. "So I assume you want the whole story?"

"Anything that would pertain to Mr. Weasley's injuries, yes."

' _Okay_ ' Harry thought, taking a deep breath. ' _Here is goes_.'

*~*~*

Harry walked out of the office a half hour later, his eyes fighting to stay open. His body was telling him to give in and go to sleep, and he felt like he would just fall to the ground and sleep in any given place. But he couldn't. He wouldn't.

His family was hurt, broken in small pieces, but was still held together by the small hope that everything would be okay. Ginny's return came as a reward, but it had its cost. Everyone waited anxiously awaiting Ron's news, sleeping in the waiting room, despite the requests of the staff to return home. Nobody could leave, and nobody would.

Taking two steps into the corridor, Harry immediately turned left, walking away from the waiting room. Walking through the 'healer's only' doors, he strode cautiously down the hallways, twisting and turning the paths as if he had done it a thousand times. He walked past countless doors, quickly scanning the paperwork in a bin next to the door. Names were piled up along with their condition, some of them quite unfortunate. A teenage boy, around seventeen years old, had a beater club charmed to smack him in the head repeatedly. Harry wondered what that boy had done to deserve that.

After a few minutes of searching, he reached the final few doors at the end of the hallways, knowing one of these was Ginny. It had to be. He strode up to the last door to see not one but two names attached to the same paper.

 _Ginevra Potter. Age 23. Torture scars and injuries. To be released if there are no complications with test results._

 _Ronald Weasley. Age 25. Severe injuries, cause unknown. Possible fatal injuries, monitor closely._

"Mr. Potter," A healer tapped on his shoulder, and Harry sighed. "You're not supposed to be here."

"I just wanted to see them." Harry said quietly, turning around to face the healer. "That's all."

Harry watched as she stood there, fidgeting as if she were arguing with herself. After a few seconds, she gave a small nod.

"You may go in. Keep in mind both of their conditions are delicate." She warned, nodding towards the door. "Even if your wife has been a bit difficult, she's still delicate." Harry smiled as he thanked her, and turned towards the door.

After taking a deep breath, Harry opened the door quietly; tip toeing into the room, careful not to startle anyone inside. He shut the door at a glacial pace until he heard the door click slightly, a sigh coming from his lips as he turned to face the room.

Tucked tightly into a ball, Ginny was curled up on the bed, her arm reaching towards the left side. Her hair was fanned out all over the pillow, covering most of her face. A small smile crept up on Harry's face, realizing she was reaching towards his side of the bed, and his fingers longed to be laced with hers, but he needed to let her recover. Glancing to the other side of the room, Harry saw a curtain raised, knowing Ron was behind the thin piece of fabric.

He just couldn't bring himself to look.

 _Hours later_

"The friends and family of Mr. Weasley." A healer called out, and a crowd of fifteen people stood up immediately, their attention focused on the now startled healer. He walked up to the family, surveying the people. Harry stood near the front, awaiting the news. Before the healer spoke again, Harry felt a hand slip through his. Hermione gripped his hand tightly, a small tear rolling down her cheek. The suspense in the room was nearly killing them as they waited, the healer waiting for Mrs. Weasley to stand, but continued after he realized that she was too fatigued to do so.

"Mr. Weasley will be fine," He said with a smile, the tension in the room immediately melting to nothing. "He will be kept here for a few days for recovery, but other than that, he will be just fine. Mr. Weasley has his wife and Mr. Potter down as his emergency contact, so I would like to speak to both of them."

Harry stood up, Hermione's hand still in his, and followed the doctor through the doors and into the office he had visited before. They sat down across from his desk, Hermione's hand eventually letting go of her tight grip.

"As you probably already know, Mr. Weasley's condition is quite unusual." The healer said as he closed the door behind them, walking over behind the desk. "And, based on observations from Mr. and Mrs. Potter, we've determined that he was not hit with a killing curse, but instead a unique cruciatus curse."

"A…cruciatus, sir?" Harry asked. "I specifically remember seeing a green light."

"You did, Mr. Potter. But due to your condition at the time, all observations could be slightly skewed from reality. It was, in fact, Rodolphus Lestrange that was hit with the killing curse, cast by one of his accomplices that fortunately misaimed his spell."

"So he's dead?"

Harry's question was answered with a nod.

"But that's not possible." Hermione muttered quietly beneath her breath.

"Excuse me?"

"That's not possible, sir. Ron's situation can't be what you've proposed. The effects of a cruciatus curse are not the symptoms Ron is experiencing, so it simply can't be what you're suggesting." She said, and the healer nodded his head slowly.

"We understand that you may think that way, but since the situation is unique, we cannot go off of facts we already know. After running multiple tests, it's been determined that Mr. Weasley was hit with an internal cruciatus curse, the pain going to his brain, causing him to fall into a curse induced coma."

"Is he awake yet?" Harry asked, completely ignoring the fact he saw him asleep less than four hours ago.

"He's woken up a few times, but fell asleep almost immediately after. So he must be kept until he's deemed suitable to return home. Until then, he's to be kept in his room under constant care."

"Is there a way I can stay here with him?" Hermione asked, looking down at her lap. "I'm not sure if I can go home without him."

"I'm sure we can figure something out."

*~*~*

Harry felt someone shaking him, the world turning from a dull black to a blurred mixture of whites and grays. The waiting room soon came into focus, and he opened his eyes to find a pair of cinnamon eyes staring right back into his. Without even thinking, as if it was instinct, Harry jumped up and placed a kiss on his wife's lips, feeling a smile on her lips. He

"I heard you visited me." She whispered as he leant his forehead against hers, his eyes closed.

"It was awful, Gin. The waiting." Harry confessed, his eyes staying shut. "I just couldn't stand not knowing if you were okay."

"I know love, I know." He smiled as he opened his eyes.

"So you passed all your tests?"

Ginny nodded.

"So we can go home?" Harry asked.

"We can go home."


	33. Chapter 33: Complexity

**Chapter 33**

The climb back into normalcy, or what they deemed to be normal, was more difficult than they had originally thought. Every day, it came closer to being like the effects after the end of the war. Ginny woke up with constant nightmares, gripping onto Harry's shirt tightly just to know, in her heart, that he was there and she was safe. Reality and the dream seemed to blur together, the two weeks she was held captive replaying in her head over and over. The torture, the pain, the loneliness. It all seemed to encompass itself in subconscious thought while her eyes were closed.

During the day, she buried her emotions with Quidditch, putting all her time and effort into the team. She had just gotten word that, even without the captain, the Holyhead Harpies had made it into the semi-finals of the Quidditch World Cup. Extremely proud of her team, Ginny was even more motivated to get her team to the finals. She would come home from work with blood coming down her throwing arm, sweat dried on her face, and her playbook under her other arm.

Even though Ginny was having an incredibly difficult time coping, Ron was the focus of everyone's attention. He was released from St. Mungo's a short week after his arrival, having no memory of the event whatsoever. Rescuing and saving Harry was the last thing he remembered, and then he said everything seemed to fade into a static blur. He seemed to be more concerned about Harry and Ginny than he did himself. It took him a month or so to slowly gain what little memory he had of the situation, and Hermione was there to catch him when he realized everything that happened. Ron stayed in his room for an entire week, going through emotional ranges that seemed to never end, but Hermione was there through thick and thin for him.

It was after that week that everything seemed to go back to what it was before, well, sort of.

"Blood again?" Harry chuckled as Ginny walked in, this time blood trickling down her forehead. Harry smiled behind the Daily Prophet, leaning back on the couch.

"Yes, Harry, it's in the job description." Ginny sassed back, placing the playbook on the table and throwing her bag under the bench.

"Seems like you're in a secret rugby club, rather than a chaser for a Quidditch team." Harry remarked, receiving a glare from Ginny. "Gin, I'm just looking out for you, I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'll be fine love." Ginny smiled, walking over and kissing Harry on the cheek. "I promise." She whispered in his ear, walking into the kitchen, leaving Harry with a small smile on his face.

"You better keep that promise." Harry called out as she walked away.

"I will." Ginny sighed, taking out the tea from the cabinet. "It's not like I'm jumping off of cliffs, I'm just playing Quidditch. A little blood never hurt anyone."

"Okay. Whatever you say, Gin." He laughed, flipping the page of the paper. "Next thing I know you'll walk in with a shattered wrist and say you'll be fine."

"That's what a trainer is for, darling." She teased, taking out the teakettle. While heating up the water, she strode over to the laundry room, riding herself of her shirt as she threw it in the hamper. "Patrick and I are basically best mates at this point, he knows me so well. He stitches me up every other second." She said, climbing out of her training shorts, and walking out into the sitting room in only her knickers.

"Hopefully he doesn't know you as well as I do, we'd have a bit of a problem if he did." Harry remarked, not noticing Ginny quite yet, his eyes still scanning the paper.

"No problem here, I'm all yours." She reassured, grabbing the water off the stove and standing on her toes to reach the mugs at the top. Harry first glanced over to see Ginny, and then looked back at his paper. But his interests quickly changed as he saw Ginny making her tea, her clothes completely void of her body.

Harry coughed loudly as he watched his wife drink her tea. She turned around to catch him, despite his efforts to turn away, a small smirk forming on Ginny's face.

"Don't think I didn't see that." She laughing, putting her empty mug into the sink.

"See what?" Harry asked, feigning interest in the paper, even though it was quite boring.

"Don't you lie to me, Harry Potter." She said, walking over to the couch. "I know exactly what you were doing."

"If you mean reading the paper, that's exactly what I was doing." Harry lied smoothly, receiving an eye roll from Ginny. She laughed quietly as she walked away, stopping outside their room.

"Well, if what I really saw is what I think it is, I just thought I should tell you that I'm popping in the shower. You can follow me if you're interested." She allured, Harry's eyes widening.

"Well what did you see?"

Ginny laughed as she walked into their room, calling Harry's name after her.

"Yeah, coming." Harry coughed, quickly getting up and following Ginny, closing the door behind them.

*~*~*

"Big game today, huh?" Ron remarked, nudging Harry on the side of the arm. "One game away from the finals. All they have to do is crush the Bulgarians with an iron fist and they're in."

"Calm the dramatics, Ron." Hermione rolled her eyes, holding onto Ron's arm tightly as they wove through the Quidditch crowds. "I'm sure they'll do fine. Ginny's worked them harder than ever."

"It's okay, Hermione. I just think Ron wants them to crush the Bulgarians, seeing as he has a dislike towards a certain player on the other team." Harry hinted, causing Ron to scowl in his direction. Hermione laughed.

"Oh dear, who ever could that be?" Hermione joked.

"You know damn right who it is." Ron scoffed. "The pompous, arrogant, incredibly self-centered…"

"I think we get it, Ron." Hermione said, patting his arm. Ron pouted as Hermione and Harry laughed, finding their way to their seats at center pitch. They bumped their way through the crowd to find their seats, ignoring any stares or shouts they got from anyone in the room. They made their way to their seats, right at center pitch, Ron gawking at the fabulous view.

"This is amazing." Ron stood in awe, as Hermione and Harry made their way down to the first row of seats.

"What'd you expect? I'm married to the captain." Harry said, winking towards a laughing Hermione. Ron shook out of his awe as he made his way down to his seat, leaning over the side of the tower.

"Ron! You're going to fall!" Hermione said, pulling him back by his hand.

"'s okay, Mione. I'm sure there's fancy spells cast so the players don't die when they fall." Hermione opened her mouth to object, but found nothing to say. Ron stared at her in disbelief. He had just outsmarted Hermione. With a smug smirk, he sat and leant back in his chair. Hermione failed to keep her stern look, a smile creeping up on her face.

It wasn't before long that it was time for the match to start, the announcer's voice booming over the stadium.

"Welcome to the semi-finals for the Quidditch world cup! The teams- The Holyhead Harpies of England, and the Bulgarians. And here they come now!"

The crowd's excitement escalated quickly as the team was announced, one player flying after another. Even the reserves got massive support. But nothing, absolutely nothing, could match the roar that came when they reached the captain of the team.

"And your captain, Ginny Potter!" The crowds went crazy, banging on the sides of walls and screaming like a pack of banshees. Harry let a small smile creep up on his face as he watched his wife twist around the stadium, a massive feeling of pride swelling up in his chest.

"Potter?" Harry heard a small voice pipe up from behind him. "Does that mean she knows Harry Potter?" He heard the child's mother laugh.

"No sweetie, that's his wife."

"His wife?" The child questioned.

"They're married. They love each other." Hearing this conversation made Harry smile a bit, and gave him the urge to turn around and smile at the small child. But he let the conversation continue, slyly eavesdropping.

"Oh, he's really lucky." The boy chirped up. "Is Harry Potter here, mummy?" He questioned as the players soared high on their broomsticks, swooshing through the air.

"I'm not certain, but I'm sure he is, sweetheart." The mother obliged. The boy stopped asking questions after that (well, questions pertaining to Harry and Ginny. The small child was quite talkative, much to his mother's dismay. Though, she did put up with it). Everyone stood and clapped while the players flew by the tower on their team lap. Ginny waved in their direction, then she threw a wink towards Harry, and before he could reply, she was gone with the wind rippling behind her.

"She waved at me! Mummy! Did you see-," the boy squealed. Harry laughed at the boy's excitement.

Ron and Hermione stood next to Harry; however, they were in a completely different world of conversation. Their topic of conversation- styles of clapping.

"Honestly Ronald, you look like a seal with flabby flippers."

"I'm sorry, Miss Prim-and-Proper. With your small, petite clapping, I would think we're at a bloody tea party!"

Harry snickered as Hermione rolled her eyes with a chuckle, continuing to clap as she pleased. Harry smiled as he watched Ginny fly up to the center of the pitch, to shake hands with the other captain, which happened to be Viktor Krum. Now, Ginny's attitude towards Viktor Krum wasn't horrible. However, she did feel the need to kick his arse halfway around the world and back. Either for Hermione's sake or the hatred from her brother. Even so, she kept the handshake professional.

The players all lined up in their according spots, Ginny and a Bulgarian Chaser, Antonov, were fight for the Quaffle to start the match. The referee, like Madam Hooch, explained to the teams how she wanted a clean game with no "naughty play". Ron snickered at that.

The quaffle was thrown up in the air, "And now we're off!" Cheered the announcer, as Ginny took possession of the Quaffle. The enthusiastic roar of the crowd followed the announcer's cheer, the sounds bouncing off the walls of the stadium. Ginny skillfully dodged Bulgarians and bludgers aimed towards her, all while passing the Quaffle between her fellow chasers. Calling out a number, the other two immediately recognized it as a special play as they held the Quaffle between them, buying time for their captain. Ginny sped towards the hoops, looping behind the keeper, which confused him immensely. Then she cut sharply in front of him to distract him, but he kept his eye on Patricia, who launched the Quaffle for the bottom right hoop. With a smirk on his face, the keeper dove for the Quaffle, but he was fooled. Emily, the other Harpie chaser, came from the side and intercepted it, passing it to Ginny, who was sitting directly in front of an open hoop. The Harpies' fans went wild.

The Bulgarian keeper stood confused, as was the rest of the Bulgarian team. They had clearly underestimated this team, and now they were in for a rude awakening.

The score was 10-0, in favour of the Harpies. It soon became 20-0, 30-0, and Harry smiled as the Harpies led the Bulgarians by 40 points.

"Damn. If only the Cannons played this well." Ron commented with a tsk.

"First they need to learn how to fly, mate." Harry commented with a smirk, earning a glare from Ron. Ron opened his mouth to fight back, but the screams of the announcer and stadium interrupted him.

"Bludger heading straight for Krum, he's trying to dodge to the- TWO bludgers are heading towards Krum, one mishit by his own teammate! Krum is frantically searching for an out, but it seems there are none! The play to the right, and the bludgers from the bottom and the left. He has to move before he gets- AND THE BLUDGER CATCHES KRUM'S SHOULDER! He's struggling to stay on his broomstick, it seems like he has forgotten about the second bludger!" The crowd is screaming at Krum, and he opens his eyes long enough to see the bludger two feet away from his face, and everything soon went black. "He's fallen off his broom! Viktor Krum has fallen off his broomstick!"

The arena fell silent as the mediwitch cushioned Krum's fall to the pitch, a team of healers rushing out to give a diagnosis. It was a good minute or two later that a stretcher was brought out onto the pitch, and the captain was wheeled off.

"Idiot." Ron scoffed, receiving a smack to the back of the head from his wife.

"Krum's been escorted off, clearly unconscious. The reserve seeker for the Bulgarians, Romanov, is making his way onto the pitch. Play has stopped, and a penalty against the Harpies has been issued."

The crowd's disapproval was quickly heard as many fans threw their hands up in anger, including Ginny. Clearly frustrated, Ginny flew up to the referee and explained how inexplicably incorrect the call was. However, the woman did not care, and brushed off Ginny's comments, only adding to her fire. And Harry knew that Ginny had a fire inside her, and once lit, was hard to extinguish.

The game continued, a new found spark in the Harpies that put the Bulgarians on their toes. The Bulgarians took a while to find their game, but they eventually started to dominate the match, pulling nasty tricks on Stevenson, the Harpies' keeper. It was a few hours later that Ginny heard the snitch fly by her ear, and she whistled to her seeker. Elizabeth perked up as Ginny nodded in the direction of the snitch, causing Elizabeth to speed towards the gold. The crowd was screaming as she chased the snitch, the other seeker taking far too long to get into the situation.

Elizabeth soon caught the snitch, send a wave of Harpie teammates to tackle her after they had reached safe ground. Harry jumped up and shouted for her, Ron doing the same. Hermione screamed and whistled, the smile on all of their faces wide as they possibly could be. The Bulgarians hung in the air for a second, realizing they had just blown the chance to be in the final.

At this moment, Harry turned around with a smile to face the small boy, who stood with a similar expression. However, with sight of Harry, his expression soon changed to one of awe.

"Now that was a pretty good game, don't you think?"

*~*~*

After a small party in the locker room with the team, Ginny apparated her way home, wobbling up the stairs, her legs aching. After reaching her floor, she unlocked the door stepping inside their flat. The room was exactly the same as it had been before, but it felt different. As if everything in their world was changing.

"We won." Ginny whispered as she closed the door, leaning against it. Her eyes held a look of disbelief as she slid down the door, down to the ground. "We actually won."

A smile started to creep up on her face

*~*~*

In the middle of the night, Harry woke hazily, a bright light hitting his eyes as he woke. He glanced over to the bathroom door, finding it slightly ajar and the lights on. He got out of bed and walked over the door, pushing it open slightly to find Ginny curled up on the floor. He dropped on his knees quickly, pulling her to his chest, her quiet breaths muffled against his chest. Her forehead had beads of sweat running down the side, her hair plastered to her skin.

"Sh…" He comforted, stroking her hair as she took shaky breaths. "Everything's okay, you're safe."

"I don't know what to do, Harry." She confessed, causing Harry to pull her closer to him.

"It'll all be okay, it'll be okay." He whispered, brushing his thumb on her arm. Ginny curled into the embrace, pulling on his shirt slightly. "I promise."

"How are you so sure?" Ginny whispered doubtingly.

"Well, I know a few things about you." He said, stroking her hair gently. "And you are the strongest person I know, and I know in my heart that you can get through anything that gets put in your way."

"Really?"

"Really." He reassured her, rocking her slightly. A small silence passed between the two of them, Ginny's sobs the only thing to be heard along with Harry's soothing comfort.

"Harry?" Ginny spoke after a while, taking her head off of his chest, looking him in the eyes. His heart broke as he saw a tear roll down her cheek, reaching out to wipe it away. He nodded as he watched her lips quiver and a fearful look cross over her eyes. "I'm scared."

"Hey, we can get through this. I'll be there for you, every single step of the way. No matter what happens, I'll never leave you."

Ginny gave a weak smile and a nod, as she curled back into Harry's chest. Harry sat there, rocking her gently in his arms, quietly whispering sweet words into the empty air. Ginny's hiccupped breaths soon quieted down, and she calmed down to a slow breathing. Harry cautiously picked her up, careful not to drop or wake her. He placed her on the bed gently, covering her with the sheet as she snuggled closer to the pillow. Walking back to the bathroom, he wet a small cloth with cold water and then tenderly put it on Ginny's forehead, realizing she had a small fever. Her nose crinkled slightly to the towel but not much. After turning off the light, Harry crawled into bed and hugged her, his arm resting on her stomach, pulling her close.

*~*~*

Late one night, Harry sat at his desk, working on the latest set of paperwork the office had sent his way. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed his aching eyes, deciding it was time for a break. He got up from his chair, wondering if Ron was still in the break room, or if he had gone home early. He made his way down the deserted hallway, the isolated sounds of typing faint in the distance.

Harry yawned as he entered the vacant break room, going straight for the coffee machine. Harry had convinced the office that, with all the cranky workers they had, a coffee machine was vital to the atmosphere of the office. And how right he had been.

After making a cup of coffee, Harry sat down in a chair, pulling the Daily Prophet across the table, and unfolding it to reveal the first page. His eyes grew wide as he read the headline, his hand crumpling the paper slightly in disbelief.

 _Ginny Potter resigns as captain of the Holyhead Harpies, weeks before the World Cup Finals (see page 7 for full story)_

Harry stared at the paper, rereading the title over and over again. He didn't believe it, but then again, at this point, he didn't know what to believe.


	34. Chapter 34: Interruptions

**Chapter 34- Interruptions**

"GINNY." Harry yelled into the flat, the door slamming behind him causing the picture on the wall to tremble. This goes unnoticed as Harry threw his briefcase down and frantically searched the room for Ginny. He glanced into the kitchen to find his breakfast plate and coffee from this morning, but there was no Ginny in sight. The sitting room was vacant, and she wasn't in the loo either. With a loud groan, Harry rubbed his forehead, trying to calm himself down. He couldn't remember a time that he was more frustrated at Ginny.

She had lied to him.

In attempts to contain himself, He paced back and forth, muttering small phrases to himself. A few seconds after a silence had fallen over the flat, Ginny walked slowly through the bedroom door, rubbing her tired eyes. She was dressed in one of Harry's shirts, which just barely made it to the start of her thighs. Her lips lazily formed a sweet smile, her eyes slightly droopy.

"Hi, love." She yawned, placing a hand on her stomach. "How was work?" She asked innocently, rubbing her eyes with the other hand.

"Let's forget about work right now, we have other things to talk about." Harry raised his voice, turning in her direction sharply. Ginny gave him a puzzling look while pulling her shirt further down her legs.

"Such as?" She questioned, leaning against their bedroom doorframe, her arms crossed.

"Why don't you tell me?" Harry asked, his eyes holding a fire Ginny had never seen before. "What should I know?"

"I don't know what you're talking about love." She said quietly, causing Harry to roll his eyes. Ginny glanced at her husband warily. This wasn't like Harry.

"Oh, so that's your response." Harry scoffed. "I guess it's not that important then, since I had to learn from the bloody papers. I guess it's some measly little thing nobody will ever talk about!"

Ginny's eyes grew wide as her lip began to tremble.

"They know?" She asked quietly, her gaze set towards the ground.

"Do they know?" Harry repeated in disbelief. "Of course they know! Word like this goes around the media faster than you think Gin."

"I know how fast the media-,"

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Harry said, cutting her off, taking two steps closer to her. "After all we've been through, especially after being apart for nearly a month, you go and do this. This is just unbelievable."

"Harry, I-," Ginny attempted to say, but Harry kept on talking.

"and you know how much I love you, Gin. I just don't know what to think right now. With all of this-,"

"Harry…" Ginny said a little louder, her voice shaking.

"I just don't understand why you didn't tell me." He finished with an exasperated breath. Ginny gave him an apologetic look as she said;

"Harry, I was going to tell you, I swear." A single tear ran down her cheek, causing Harry's expression to soften. "I was just waiting to tell you until after I was sure."

"So you let me find out from this?" Harry said with a calmer tone, holding up the crumpled Daily Prophet, the headline shining out among the rest. Ginny's eyes changed from a look of sorrow to a look of confusion.

"Well, I'll be damned." Ginny said, snatching the paper from Harry's hand. "This is what you're mad about?" Harry's mood soon changed from calm to what it was before, and his new found anger was boiling up in his chest.

"What? Is there something else?" Harry questioned angrily. Ginny's face fell. "Oh, there's something else. Oh merlin Gin, are you serious? I can't believe-,"

"Harry." Ginny interjected, though this went unnoticed by Harry, once again.

"-you would do this. This isn't like you, and to think that-,"

"Harry." Ginny said once again, her voice more demanding. Again, this went unnoticed by Harry, who had begun to pace.

"you kept two things from me, what else are you-,"

"Damn it, Harry! Will you just shout your mouth for one bloody second?" Ginny screamed, her chest heaving up and down. Harry stopped pacing to look at Ginny, whose face had turned red from frustration and tears. "You don't even know what you're talking about."

"I sure as hell don't know what I'm talking about, since all I know is from the bloody paper, and half of that is bound to be wrong." Harry commented.

"The first rational thing you've said tonight. At least we're getting somewhere." Ginny remarked, causing Harry to scoff.

"Then why don't you tell me why?" He asked, pushing his falling glasses up.

"I quit my job because I had to, not because I wanted to. You know I loved that job almost as much as anything else." She explained.

"I know Gin, I know, but right before the finals?" He questioned, pushing his hair back in the way that causing Ginny to go weak in the knees, but she wasn't affected by it. "You spent so long training and slaving over the plays and practicing like mad and now you're going to give up?"

"I'M NOT GIVING UP!" Ginny yelled. "You of all people should understand that."

"Then WHY?" Harry questioned loudly. "Why would you quit something you love so much that you would slave over plays for hours upon hours, practice for days on end, only to come home to a husband who rarely saw his wife, who spent three weeks thinking she was dead. Why Ginny, Why would you do that?" He bellowed, his voice rising with each word he spoke.

"I'm pregnant, you inconsiderate arsehole." She whispered harshly, which had more affect to Harry than getting yelled at. The room fell silent as Ginny's chest heaved up and down, while Harry's eyes grew wide and his legs nearly fell out from beneath him.

"Gin…" Harry said, reaching out for her, but she took a step back while shaking her head.

"No, you can stay out here and calm down. I'm going to go back to sleep and forget that this just happened."

"Gin-," Harry whispered, reaching out for her as she closed the door behind her, the lock clicking a second later. Harry stood there in defeat, his heart racing a million miles an hour, reflecting on how wrong he had been and more importantly, how he was going to apologize.

*~*~*

It was only an hour later that Harry swallowed his pride and walked up to their bedroom door. He took a deep breath before turning the knob slowly, finding the door to be unlocked. He eased the door opened, the line of light growing larger in the dark as he opened the door wider. Ginny lay on her side, facing away from the door. Harry quietly crossed the room, tiptoeing to his side of the bed where Ginny was facing. When he looked at her, his eyes met a pair of tired brown eyes, filled with anger and guilt.

His eyes soon swelled with apologies as he climbed into bed next to her, hoping he could convey his apology through one sweeping look. With a deep breathe, Ginny curled up next to him, tucking her head in his neck.

"You didn't deserve any of that." Harry confessed, brushing her arm with his thumb. He just heard her responsive sigh, leaving the silence to do the talking. "I was a complete idiot."

"I know." She said with a laugh. "We all have those days."

"I shouldn't have been as…" Harry trailed off, trying to find the right word.

"Explosive?" She asked. "Moody? Irritable?" She offered a few choices, causing Harry to yell out in protest.

"I agree with the first one, but the second two were a bit much."

"Not from my perspective." Ginny argued, which made Harry drop the conversation altogether, knowing they would solve it completely in the morning, if needed. They both laid in silence for quite some time, Ginny's quiet breathing trembling every so often as Harry held up close to him, his hand draping across her stomach.

"Putting the row aside, I could not be happier than I am right as this moment." Harry whispered, putting his palm against her stomach. Harry felt her lips curve up into a smile as she kissed his neck and nuzzled closer.

"It's a bit scary-" She commented.

"Terrifying." He agreed.

"And not to mention what the papers are going to say we then find out-," She expounded, Harry feeling her tense up against him.

"I'm more worried about your mother than anything else." This caused her to laugh, relaxing a bit against Harry.

"She'll be fine, I think it's Ron you'll have to work on."

"I don't even want to think about Ron right now." Harry said. "All I want to think about is our family."

"Our _family_ …" She whispered, picking her head up to look at Harry with a small smile. "I love the sound of that."

"Me too." Harry agreed, and Ginny curled back against Harry, his arm pulling her even closer. The thoughts of family and joy overwhelmed Harry's mind, making him forget about anything bad that had happened in his life. The row, the kidnapping, the war. Every single pain was worth this one pleasure in life, and this was it. This was his something worth living for, sleeping in his bed next to him. And that was all he would ever need.

After a wave of exhaustion hit him, he yawned audibly and closed his eyes, listening to the silence as he waited to fall asleep.

"You're still an arsehole." She interrupted the silence, causing Harry to chuckle. He bent his head down and kissed the top of her head.

"I know love, I know."


	35. Chapter 35: Bowtie

**Chapter 35**

Month two- The Family

"Happy birthday love." Ginny whispered groggily, kissing Harry on the cheek. Harry opened his eyes slowly, blinking several times before meeting a blurry pair of sparkling brown eyes with a smile that accompanied them.

"Thanks, Gin." He replied sleepily, kissing her lips softly. When he pulled away, her eyes were still closed and the smile on her face had grown.

"Anytime." She said, brushing a piece of hair out of his face. She gave a small smile before she swung her legs over the bed, and walking over to the wardrobe. Harry reached over and grabbed his glasses, and soon realizing that Ginny was wearing one of his shirts, which was just barely covering her bum.

"So, that's where all my shirts went." He chuckled, moving to get off the bed.

"Was it really that hard to figure out?" She teased, shuffling through the drawers. Pulling out a bowtie from Harry's drawer, she turned to face him as he walked over to her. "A bow tie? Honestly?"

"What? I think they're cool." Harry replied innocently, taking the bowtie from her hand and reaching across her to put it away.

"Whatever you say…" Ginny murmured indifferently. Going through her outfits, she was determined to look nice for the dinner tonight, however she couldn't find anything. "Harry, what should I wear?"

"Gin, it's your family. They won't care what you look like, even if you showed up in a rubbish bin." Harry answered honestly, tying his shoes as he had already finished dressing himself.

"Mum would freak." Ginny countered, and Harry nodded in agreement.

"Let me rephrase that." He said, walking over to her and putting his hands on her hips. "If you are wearing any of your normal clothing, no rubbish bins, everything will be fine."

"I guess you're right." Ginny said, pulling out a pair of jeans from her drawer and throwing them onto the bed.

"And Gin, I just think your mum'll be happy about the baby. I don't think she'll care about your clothes." He said, grabbing his coat and throwing it over his shoulders.

"Don't remind me, I'm nervous enough about that. I might just have my morning sickness all over the dinner table." She groaned, sliding her jeans over her legs.

Harry chuckled as he walked over to her, giving her a peck on the cheek. "I'm off to work, I'll see you tonight love."

"Apparating was not the best idea…" Ginny wobbled queasily, Harry easily catching and supporting her.

"Come on, Gin. Let's get you inside." Harry said lovingly, his hand on the small of her back, the other ready in case she wobbled a bit more. Harry opened the door ahead of her, only to be met by Mrs. Weasley, a surprised look on her face.

"Oh dears, I thought I heard you. Come inside, come on." She ushered, Harry steadily supporting Ginny, who tried to feign normality. This, however, didn't go by Mrs. Weasley, who was eying Ginny wearily.

"We just apparated in." Harry smiled, and then gestured towards Ginny. "She's not feeling too well at the moment, so I'm just going to get her upstairs." Mrs. Weasley nodded with a sympathetic smile.

"No worry dear, I'll go fetch her a glass of water." Mrs. Weasley smiled, scurrying away to the kitchen. Harry continued to guide Ginny up the stairs, his hands still hovering protectively at the small of her back.

"Do you think she knows?" Harry asked.

"It's Mum, of course she does. She has a radar of sorts." Ginny smiled wearily, reaching the top of the steps. "I think you should go downstairs, love."

"And why should I do that?" Harry questioned.

"It is your party afterall. And I think I can find my room just fine." She answered with a smirk, then turning her head to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Go."

"I don't want to." Harry whined. "I feel old." Ginny chuckled a bit before she turned into her childhood bedroom, the door following her shuffled steps. Harry then made his way down the rickety old stairs that had seen many memories and clumsy feet that tripped on its edge.

"Oi, mate." Ron called up the staircase, peering up to Harry with a smile on his face. A few moments later, Hermione's face appeared next to Ron's, adorned a similar smile. Harry made his way down to the bottom and was greeted with a crushing hug from Hermione.

"Happy birthday, Harry." Hermione said, shoving a wrapped present into his chest after she released him from her snug hug.

"Thanks, Hermione. You didn't have to." He said, holding up the small, book shaped parcel.

"Three guesses to what it is." Ron joked, Hermione letting out a small laugh before throwing a glare in Ron's direction. Harry ripped off the top of the wrapping paper, revealing a Muggle book titled 'What To Expect When You're Expecting'.

"For Ginny." Hermione said with a wink, before being pulled away by another Weasley family member just dying to talk to her. Harry laughed, turning the book over before climbing the stairs to put it in Ginny's room.

"Harry!" George greeted him, clapping him on the back. "Look at you, you don't look a day younger than 49."

"Thanks George, means a lot." Harry chuckled.

"Happy birthday, Harry." Angelina smiled next to George, her hands resting on her pregnant stomach. Harry couldn't help but smile slightly, imagining Ginny doing the same in a few months time.

"Thanks. Do you know the sex of the baby yet?" Harry asked, and Angelina nodded her head as George shook his, leaving Harry a bit confused.

"Well, I know it's a boy, but he doesn't trust my instincts." Angelina said, nudging George with her elbow, and he still shook his head. "He's just too stubborn to accept it."

"I see the stubborn trait runs in the family." Harry joked and George lightly punched Harry on the shoulder, a hearty laugh erupting from him.

"Ginny's the most stubborn of the family, I admire that you decided to spend the rest of your life with her." He said, pulling Harry close to him by his shoulder. "But the baby, T's too calm to be a boy. Mum said Fred and I gave her trouble even before we were born. I reckon it's a girl."

"Okay, dear. Whatever you say." Angelina said. "I'm still sticking with what Harry said."

Harry smiled as he glanced over George's shoulder to see Ginny peering her head down the staircase, observing the party. Excusing himself, Harry walked over to the staircase and met her eyes.

"Better?" He asked, and she nodded her head with a small smile. "Nervous?" She took a deep breath before answering-

"A little, but it'll be okay." She assured herself, grabbing onto Harry's hand as they made their way over to the party.

"Dinner's on the table!" Mrs. Weasley announced, gesturing everyone into the sitting room where a much larger table had been placed to accommodate all the guests. Harry pulled Ginny's seat out for her, and from which he received a look from Ginny that said I-can-still-pull-out-my-own-chair-I'm-not-made-of-porcelain. Regardless, she sat down at the table and placed the napkin on her lap, and taking a few sips of water.

"All of this for you, you should feel special." Ginny whispered into Harry's ear as he sat down, a smile creeping up on his face.

"Well, I am quite special you know." Harry whispered back, causing him to get a light slap on the shoulder from Ginny.

"Oi, what're you two talking about?" Ron asked, a few seats down, causing Harry to go red in the face, answering with a simple nothing. Ron glanced at them curiously, before taking his plate and placing almost every option onto the small plate.

"So, Ginny, dear." Mrs. Weasley began, as she passed the food around the table. "How's your job?"

"I had to leave my job, Mum." Ginny said, a lump forming in her throat. "I thought you knew that."

Silence fell around the table; a single clatter was heard as someone accidentally dropped their spoon on their plate.

"Oh, I must've forgotten. No worries dear, the more you know, the more you forget." Mrs. Weasley laughed, brushing off the awkward silence and reestablishing the mood.

"So, all that free time, Ginny." Mr. Weasley inquired. "What have you been doing?"

"I've had to settle with the team, choosing a new captain and passing the torch down to the next captain, as they say. Despite that, I haven't been doing much." She answered, taking Harry's hand into hers underneath the table. "And that's because…" Ginny said, unable to get the words out.

"We have some news to share with you all." Harry said, squeezing Ginny's hand to ease her on.

"We're pregnant." Ginny said, a small smile forming on her face as she said it. An instantaneous sea of 'Congratulations' and smiles came their way, Mrs. Weasley's knowing smiling was shining the brightest. George, who sat across from Harry, reached across the table to shake his hand.

"Harry, you're pregnant, congratulations."

"Oh, shove off."

Month 3- Fat

"Harry." Ginny called from the next room, causing Harry to put down his morning coffee.

"Yes?" He asked, his eyes looking up from the Daily Prophet and venturing over to their bedroom door, where his wife stood with a frown on her face. His brow furrowed as he saw her distress, noticed she had her jeans not zipped or buttoned.

"My pants are too small."

Harry laughed quietly as he got out of his seat and crossed the room, placing his hands on Ginny's waist as he looked down at her.

"That happens when you're pregnant, Gin." Harry said quietly, receiving a meaningless glare from Ginny.

"This is all your fault." She said, pulling out of his embrace and walking into their bedroom. From the window to the door, from the ceiling to the floor, clothes were scattered everywhere. Harry followed in after her.

"My fault?" He questioned, picking up one of her shirts off the floor and placing it on the bed. "How is this my fault?"

"You made me this way, and now that's forcing me to go clothes shopping." Harry laughed at her statement, which caused Ginny to throw a pillow in his direction.

"If it helps," Harry said, starting to pick up the chaos that had erupted in the room. "I'll go with you to the store." Ginny scoffed at this.

"Oh please, that'll only make it worse."

Month 4- Something Borrowed

"Gin, you really need to go clothes shopping." Harry commented, nudging her with his foot as they lay on the sofa together. He received a glare from his wife, who had a face full of chocolate ice cream.

"No, I don't." She answered stubbornly, her mouth full.

"You're in denial." Harry continued, pushing his work away from him to take away the ice cream bowl from her grasp, which she loudly protested.

"Give that back!" She said. "I'm warning you, never take my food away from me for the next five months or there will be hell to pay."

"Promise me you'll go shopping and I will give it back to you." He said, walking on thin ice as Ginny held a gaze of fire.

"But I don't need to."

"Love, you're wearing my shirts." Harry reminded her, and Ginny let out an audible sigh.

"Okay, I will. Now give me back my bowl."

"See, that wasn't so hard was it?" Harry said childishly, nudging her again with his foot, accompanied with another glance from Ginny.

"I'll go shopping in the morning." She said, her mouth full once again. "Just let me live in a world where I will stay the way I am, not potentially become the size of a planet."

 **Author's Note: I know I've already introduced baby Fred into the story BUT if I want to continue this into a Next Gen story, Fred needs to be around James' age. So I messed up a bit on that, that's my bad xx**


End file.
